China's role in global energy transformation emphasized at the BOAO Forum for Asia (BFA), held on Monday in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia.
The BFA Riyadh Conference is a landmark event as it is the first time for the BFA to be held outside China.
Top officials attended the one-day conference to hammer out solutions to increase renewable and clean energy production, tackle challenges facing the energy transition.
"Saudi Arabia and the Middle East are high on the agenda of BFA. The Riyadh conference is an important step for the BFA in expanding its overseas footprint with the support of the Saudi government," said Ban Ki-Moon, chairman of BFA and former UN secretary-general.
This year's theme is energy transition and sustainable development. Major oil exporter and host country Saudi Arabia announced it will partner with China in adopting its own energy transition strategy.
"Where is [all the global] energy growth coming and hydrogen growth is coming? It's all from China. Instead of competing with China, there is a better approach, which is joining China," emphasized Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi's energy minister.
According to the International Energy Agency, global annual renewable energy capacity additions grew by nearly 50 percent in 2023. The largest growth took place in China last year, which commissioned as much solar PV in 2023 as the entire world did in 2022, while China's wind power additions rose by 66 percent year-on-year.
"It has become more and more mature to use the new technologies and engineering [developments] to push the energy transition. One [advantage] is the cost is lowered down [and] the efficiency is going up," said Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of BFA.
What China has achieved is certainly a positive sign for global energy transition efforts and also conforms with the goals set at the COP28 in Dubai in 2023, to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
However, the major hurdle is the shortage of finance for emerging economies.
"The less-developed countries really have not contributed so much or do not contribute as much to the global emission issues, so that needs to be understood. The developed world have to pick up the challenge. There's a great need for capital here and capital needs to be provided at a sustainable level," said Shahid Abbasi, BFA Board Member and former Pakistan prime minister.
Some delegates specifically pointed out that countries from around the world can draw experience from China's success story.
"From a financing perspective we need to have a bankable project. What Chinese technology companies have been able to do now is to bring that technology, good technology, at affordable costs, translating into real projects," said Bayanjargal Byambasaikhan, vice chair of Business Council of Mongolia.
Some delegates highlighted the need to attract the private sector and multilateral corporations to invest in more renewables energy projects in the least developed nations.
Founded in 2001, the BFA invites leaders in government, business and academia annually from around Asia to share their insights on the region and the world.
BOAO Forum held in Riyadh to explore synergetic energy transition strategy
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a hard landing in Iran's northwestern province of East Azerbaijan on Sunday, state-run IRIB TV reported.
Raisi’s helicopter was part of a convoy of three helicopters which was on its way from Khoda Afarin County, where Raisi had attended the inauguration ceremony of a storage dam along with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, to the provincial capital Tabriz where Raisi was scheduled to attend the inauguration of a petrochemical complex, according to the report.
"On May 19 local time, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi made a hard landing in East Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran. According to our investigation in Iran, the incident took place near the Varzaghan area of East Azerbaijan. From the live broadcast on Iranian national television, we can see that the entire area of the accident site is in a state of severe foggy weather, which caused great trouble to the search and rescue work. In addition to Iranian President Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and other officials and entourage were also on the helicopter," said Li Jiannan, a CCTV reporter in Iran.
Speaking to IRIB TV, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi attributed the helicopter's rough landing to the unfavorable weather conditions, which he said also impacted search and rescue work.
The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pirhossein Kolivand told IRIB TV that 40 rapid reaction teams had rushed to the scene and were monitoring the region while noting that there were difficulties in reaching the scene by land or by air due to the mountainous terrain and the bad weather conditions.
Kolivand, however, said drones were being used to search the region.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri has ordered the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the police to make all-out efforts to search for and rescue the president and his accompanying team, said the Iran Newspaper.
Speaking to IRIB TV, Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said medical teams had been stationed near the possible crash site.
Iranian government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said in a post on social media platform X that Vice President Mohsen Mansouri and several cabinet members were on their way to Tabriz after a meeting in Tehran.
Following the incident, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed his hope that President Raisi and accompanying officials would be able to return home safely, saying that everyone should pray for them. Iranian people do not need to worry, and the work of the country and the government will not be affected, he said.
Following reports of the incident, leaders of neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan and Iraq, expressed concern over the developments and said they were ready to assist in search and rescue efforts.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the same day, saying that Türkiye is following the incident and hopes that Iranian President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian and other Iranian officials are safe and healthy. Türkiye has taken action to provide support for the search and rescue operation, the statement said.
Iranian president's helicopter makes hard landing in NW province
