It’s common to see ignorant comments on social media, almost all originating in the USA, saying things like “I will believe what China says about the growth in its use of renewables when they come clean on coal.”
No doubt many of these “social media commentators” are bots but many others are in the mainstream media. Often these “comments” are on the same level of stupidity as the deranged rantings of US president Trump, with his remark that “Chyna doesn’t use wind mills“.
It is a fact that many of these hostile comments are funded by billion-dollar state sponsored anti-China disinformation programs,** which the US has admitted are run by the State Department, USAID etc.
What China actually says is clear
The reality of China’s renewable energy transition is however well documented and not hard to check. There is no hiding the role of coal in the energy transition:
“By 2030, the country’s total installed power capacity is expected to reach 5.4 billion kilowatts, with renewable energy accounting for more than half of total installed capacity. Non-fossil sources are projected to generate half of the country’s electricity, while coal and oil consumption are expected to peak …The plan nevertheless reaffirms the role of conventional energy sources — including coal, oil, and natural gas — in maintaining system stability and ensuring reliable supply.” (China State Council Information Office)
Sources:
China State Council Information Office, June 30, 2026. http://english.scio.gov.cn/pressroom/2026-06/30/content_118574952.html )
ChemNet News, July 5, 2026. ‘Carbon Peaking Action under 15th Five-Year Plan’. https://news.chemnet.com/news-7331.html
** U.S. Government Accountability Office, June 17, 2026. ‘Countering China: Agencies Provided Over $1 Billion’. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107822
