The government should provide incentives and support to push cooperation on clean energy between private local companies and their foreign counterparts.

So said Yao Wenping, vice-president of the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products.

Yao said incentives and support should be part of the nation's overall strategy, which emphasizes renewable energy and cleaner development.

"Policy incentives, financial subsidies and information services are vital to help Chinese companies find more opportunities to cooperate with foreign partners on clean energy," Yao told China Daily.

She said the United States, the world's leading player in clean-energy technology, has shown it's willing to cooperate with China in the sector. "The cooperation climate is sound and the government should take this opportunity to push cleaner technologies."

In December, during the two countries' strategic economic dialogue, the Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Ma Kai asked the United States to cooperate with China on energy efficiency and clean energy.

"The US government hasn't prevented exports of wind, solar and other clean-energy technologies to China - it's a good time to strengthen cooperation," said Yao.

China plans to put clean and renewable energy at the top of its development agenda. Last month, the government emphasized that strategy in its first energy white paper. It will focus on developing hydropower, biomass energy, wind power and solar power in the future, according to a medium and long-term plan for renewable energy. The NDRC has already listed the area as a development priority in its revised industry catalogue for foreign investment.

Most clean energy operations in China are currently run by private companies. "Business development in the area is fledgling and chaotic," said Yao.

She said the government needs to draw up a detailed plan to bolster foreign cooperation with firms that have advanced technologies.

Last month, the central government said it had created guidelines for cooperation in power generation, coal, petroleum and natural gas, renewable energy, energy conservation and environmental protection, in a bid to boost joint energy development.

"Joint energy development between the two countries would be mutually beneficial," Yao said, adding it would not only help China improve its energy consumption structure, reduce greenhouse emissions and cut pollutant discharges, but could also bring commercial benefits to the US side.

"The development will bring a lot of green jobs for the US," said Yao.

The commission said China would lift the proportion of renewable energy consumption to about 10 percent by 2010, and to 20 percent by 2020.

(China Daily January 10, 2008)