Senior Diplomats from 20 countries discuss China’s green transition

On October 11, the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) held the 2024 fifth edition of the “CCG VIP Luncheon” at the historic Xianhe Hall of the Beijing International Club. The event was moderated by Henry Huiyao Wang, CCG Founder and President and Former Counselor to the State Council of China, and featured keynote speeches by YI Xiaozhun, Former Deputy Director-General of WTO and Former Vice Minister of Commerce of China, and HUO Jianguo, Vice President of the China World Trade Organization Research Association and Former President of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC). They delivered in-depth analyses of the challenges and opportunities China faces in advancing its energy transition and green sustainable development.

Nearly 40 Chinese and foreign guests participated in the discussions, including ambassadors to China from five countries—Israel, Barbados, Iceland, Romania, and Mexico—as well as ministers and senior diplomats from 15 embassies, including those of Brazil, Switzerland, Russia, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, India, the United States, Japan, Denmark, Singapore, and Turkey. Several representatives of international organizations in China, senior executives from multinational corporations, and prominent media figures from both domestic and international outlets also attended.

At the luncheon, CCG Secretary-General Mabel Lu Miao first briefly introduced all the distinguished guests and extended a warm welcome and sincere thanks for their presence. She highlighted that the “CCG VIP Luncheon” is dedicated to sharing the latest developments in China’s economic policies with embassies in China, international organizations, chambers of commerce, multinational companies, and academic experts, while also providing insights into China’s future development direction. As a high-end platform for international exchanges, this event offers opportunities to explore global cooperation. Having been successfully held several times in the past, it has garnered widespread attention and positive feedback from the international community. This luncheon focuses on discussing the challenges and opportunities China faces in advancing its energy transition and green sustainable development. We are honored to have two distinguished guest speakers provide in-depth analysis on these topics and share their unique insights and perspectives with the audience.

Following this, Henry Huiyao Wang, Founder and President of Center for CCG and Former Counselor to the State Council of China, delivered a speech, warmly welcoming all the guests once again. He noted that the “CCG VIP Luncheon” covers a wide range of topics and serves as a vital platform in Beijing for international participants to exchange views and gain a better understanding of China’s latest development trends and economic prospects. He mentioned that the Chinese government has recently introduced several economic stimulus measures, and China’s international economic and trade activities remain vibrant. In this context, the event has invited prominent speakers with deep expertise in the field of trade, who are expected to share valuable insights and in-depth reflections on critical issues such as trade development and the green energy transition.

In the keynote speech session, YI Xiaozhun , Former Deputy Director-General of WTO and Former Vice Minister of Commerce of China, focused on China’s new energy industry. He highlighted that China’s achievements in this field are the result of early strategic planning and continuous efforts. Yi provided a detailed overview of the development of China’s electric vehicle industry, emphasizing the critical role of government policies in supporting energy conservation, emissions reduction, and the promotion of electric vehicles. He also stressed the importance of market competition, technological innovation, and China’s vast market in driving the growth of the new energy industry, refuting accusations from Western countries that China overly relies on government subsidies. In conclusion, Yi called on all nations to adhere to WTO rules and promote global green transitions through multilateral cooperation, working together to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions.

HUO Jianguo, Vice President of the China World Trade Organization Research Association and Former President of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC), provided a detailed analysis of the internal and external challenges facing China’s exports. On external factors, he pointed out that the spread of Cold War mentality, the weakening of international dispute resolution mechanisms, and the rise of global protectionism have severely disrupted the international trade environment. Internally, changes in market structure, product structure, and production and supply chains have introduced new pressures. Huo noted that China’s external economy will undergo a prolonged adjustment period in the future. Therefore, it is crucial to place a strong emphasis on the development of the export-oriented economy and to resolutely advance a high level of openness to the outside world. Overall, he emphasized that China’s external economy is in the midst of transformation, and after this adjustment, China is expected to increase its overseas investments. Despite the current challenges, Huo remains confident about the prospects of China’s foreign trade and economic outlook.

The insightful speeches by the two distinguished guests, along with comments from CCG President Henry Huiyao Wang, provided valuable references and reflections for the attendees, sparking lively discussions and exchanges. During the Q&A session, several participants, including H.E. Jesús Seade, Ambassador of Mexico; Ulf Hausbrandt, Minister of the Austrian Embassy; H.E. Dan-Horia Maxim, Ambassador of Romania; Deborah Lehr, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Paulson Institute; H.E. Thorir Ibsen, Ambassador of Iceland; Gianni Di Giovanni, Chairman of Eni China; Everett Wakai, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs of Embassy of the United States of America; H.E. Irit Ben Abba, Ambassador of Israel, commented and posed questions on key issues such as factors affecting China’s foreign trade exports, WTO reforms, and the green energy transition.

Through in-depth discussions and exchanges, the participants gained a more comprehensive and objective understanding of the current state and future trends of China’s economy. In a highly interactive atmosphere, the luncheon concluded successfully.

Guests from the embassies and international organizations attending the event include (sorted alphabetically by their surnames):

H.E. Irit Ben Abba, Ambassador of Israel

Rodrigo Mendes Araujo, Counselor of the Economic Section, Embassy of Brazil

Nadia Benani, Head of the International Cooperation Division, Embassy of Switzerland

Ivan Bolshakov, Second Secretary, Embassy of Russia

Jean-Christian Brillant, Minister (Commercial), Embassy of Canada

Arna Ferreira, Deputy Head of the Mission, Embassy of Croatia

Ahmed Gamal, Head of Consular Section, Embassy of Egypt

Stephan Grabherr, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Germany

H.E. Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados

Ulf Hausbrandt, Minister of the Austrian Embassy

H.E. Thorir Ibsen, Ambassador of Iceland

Dion LOKE, First Secretary, Embassy of Singapore

H.E. Dan-Horia Maxim, Ambassador of Romania

Atakan Ozdemir, Chief Trade Counsellor, Embassy of Turkey

Aramiro Tai Rākena, Counsellor of Trade, Economy, and Environment, Embassy of New Zealand

H.E. Jesús Seade, Ambassador of Mexico

Abhishek Shukla, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India

Aleksandr Shevchenko, First Secretary, Embassy of Russia

Anders Siegumfeldt, Deputy head of Mission, Embassy of Denmark

Everett Wakai, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America

YAMADA Yoshiyuki, Minister, Embassy of Japan

Guests from the international media include:

Luz Ding, Energy Reporter, Bloomberg

GAO Yingshi, Journalist, China Global Television Network (CGTN)

GUO Yuhua, Deputy Director, Financial Programs Department at the Global English Program Center of CGTN

Ocean Hou, Reporter, Bloomberg

LIU Yang, Correspondent, Xinhua News Agency

Nelson Pancini de Sá, Beijing Correspondent for Folha de S.Paulo

TAN Guoling, Journalist, Chinadaily

Harold Thibault, China Correspondent, Le Monde

Hayley Wong, China Reporter, South China Morning Post

Guests from international organizations, business associations and multinational corporations including:

Gianni Di Giovanni, Chairman of Eni China

Deborah Lehr, Vice Chairman and Executive Director, Paulson Institute

David Perez-Des Rosiers, Chapter Director, Beijing Office, Canada China Business Council

WANG Xiaodong, Lead Energy Specialist and Program Leader for Infrastructure, World Bank China

Mike Wu, Vice President for China, Basilinna LLC

ZHANG Fan, Deputy Resident Representative, International Monetary Fund

The “CCG VIP Luncheon” series, initiated and hosted by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), aims to establish a premier platform for international exchange in Beijing in the post-pandemic era. This event series is designed to introduce China’s latest development prospects and policies to embassies, international organizations, multinational companies, chambers of commerce, and academic experts in China. It also seeks to provide forward-looking predictions on China’s development prospects and explore cooperation between China and the rest of the world on globally significant issues.