China’s energy initiatives at the recent Shanghai Coopperation Organisation meeting strengthened alliances and energy diplomacy with Russia, India and Central Asia.
This year’s SCO summit drew unprecedented attention due to shifting global dynamics. Climate cooperation emerged as a key theme. China proposed a new SCO development bank, and pledged CNY 2 billion in grants and CNY 10 billion in loans. China put energy cooperation centre stage at the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meetings in Tianjin. President Xi Jinping announced the “10+10 GW targets” in which China will invest in building an additional 10 gigawatts (GW) of solar and 10 GW of wind power across SCO member countries over the next five years.
Since 2019, China has invested in 10.4 GW of solar and 7.6 GW of wind overseas. Within SCO countries, however, investment has been far more modest, with just 1.0 GW of solar and 0.3 GW of wind over the same period.
While Chinese manufacturers have long dominated global solar power equipment supply, at present China’s involvement in overseas clean energy remains largely confined to bidding for projects already included in host-country energy plans. The new pledge could create an opening for China to engage more deeply in dialogue with partner governments beyond discrete projects.
The 10+10 GW also stands out for its inclusion of technology transfer and experience exchange. Li Yuxiao, Greenpeace East Asia’s Beijing-based project lead said:
“This is an area that will be of strategic interest for member countries. Indeed, the member countries’ response statements give greater emphasis to these elements. If effective technology transfer and experience exchange occurs between China and partners in the Global South, it could significantly support local-industry development from the ground up. Ultimately it could benefit regional energy structures and advance the energy transition both locally and globally.”
The 10+10 GW initiative can help broaden Chinese overseas engagement from equipment export and project bidding towards systemic cooperation and energy planning, which could meaningfully advance clean-energy transitions in SCO countries while strengthening China’s role as a global clean-energy partner.
Source: Earth Dialogue (extract), Sep 11, 2025. https://dialogue.earth/en/energy/roundtable-how-has-the-sco-summit-impacted-the-global-energy-landscape/
China Environment News 