Chinese vice premier calls for deepening China-Russia energy cooperation

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng reads out Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter and delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the fourth China-Russia Energy Business Forum on Nov. 29, 2022. The forum was held online and offline on Tuesday in Beijing and Moscow. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Tuesday attended the opening ceremony of the fourth China-Russia Energy Business Forum and put forward a three-point proposal on deepening China-Russia energy cooperation.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the event, which was held online and offline in Beijing and Moscow, Han said that energy security is an important foundation for countries to achieve economic development and social stability. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia energy cooperation has made steady progress and made a series of new achievements, he added.

Noting that the global energy system is undergoing profound changes, and the security and stability of the industrial and supply chains are facing many risks and challenges, the vice premier said China will continue to strengthen resource coordination and policy support, maintain energy security and supply, and ensure a warm winter for the people.

China and Russia should implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, forge a closer energy cooperation partnership and make greater contributions to improving the well-being of the two peoples and promoting global energy security and sustainable development, Han said.

He put forward three proposals for deepening China-Russia energy cooperation:

First, exerting efforts to improve the business environment, ensure sustained and steady development of energy trade, and advance cooperation on major projects in an orderly manner as planned;

Second, supporting greater coordination among energy producers, transit countries and consumer countries, working for unimpeded international energy industrial and supply chains, and maintaining the security and stability of the global energy market;

Third, promoting the building of a green and low-carbon global energy governance framework, actively promoting the establishment of global clean energy cooperation partnerships, and jointly addressing the challenge of climate change.

More than 300 representatives from the two countries' relevant departments as well as energy enterprises, financial institutions, research institutes and industrial associations attended the opening ceremony.