China plays pivotal role in enhancing clean energy capacity worldwide: IRENA chief

China plays a pivotal role in boosting clean energy capacity around the world, said the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) during an interview in Beijing.

On Monday, the State Grid Corporation hosted the 2025 International Forum on Energy and Power Transition in Beijing, centered on the theme "Accelerating Energy Transition with New Power Systems."

The event highlighted key technologies such as flexible DC grid connections for offshore wind power and advanced grid control systems designed to stabilize grids with high renewable energy penetration.

According to the latest report from IRENA, China alone accounted for 64 percent of the global increase in renewable energy capacity in 2024.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Francesco La Camera, the director-general of IRENA commended China's role in boosting clean energy capacity domestically and internationally.

"China plays a double role. One is domestically, with raising installed capacity of renewables. Last year, worldwide, I think 60 percent of the other renewable capacity was coming from China. The scale of renewables domestically is [unprecedented]. The other aspect is China has been able to provide the world with technology, with low carbon, low price for the [solar] panels for example," he said.

The IRENA chief also highlighted that the international community is working together to push ahead with efforts to lift clean energy capacity to contribute to low-carbon development.

"It's amazing to see the progress. Every year, a new record of renewable installed capacity. Last year, 94 percent of power capacity installed was renewables. We see what China is doing to have more renewables into a new system, with interconnectivity among the grids, ensuring the flexibility and the balancing. This applies for every energy system in the world. So, this three areas has to be overcome, especially in areas like Africa and Southeast Asia, where the population and energy demand will be increasing faster in the years to come. So, it's important, especially the multilateral system may rewrite the way international cooperation works," he said.

China plays pivotal role in enhancing clean energy capacity worldwide: IRENA chief

A dazzling lineup of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies was on display at an immersive tech fair that just concluded on Tuesday in Guangzhou City, south China, captivating visitors with true-to-life and thrilling game experiences.

Held inside the China Import and Export Fair Complex, the three-day World VR/AR/XR/MR Industry and Smart Glasses Exhibition drew exhibitors from around the world to showcase their hottest immersive products, and tech enthusiasts couldn't wait to test the gadgets and gear firsthand.

"I just experienced the VR skydiving. The sense of weightlessness is very strong, and my experience is fantastic. It feels like real skydiving, but you can't stay for too long, as it's so real that you might get a bit dizzy," one visitor said.

A local company presented several products including a dome-screen theater that delivers glasses-free 3D visuals ideal for tourist attractions.

"The highlight is that we have turned the track-based theater into a dome theater. It offers a 3D audio-visual experience with 8K high-definition images. Our exclusive footage is incredibly sharp, and we've added immersive motion effects along with special effects like wind, rain, thunder, snowflakes, and bubbles," said Liu Jiale, sales manager of the exhibiting company.

The company landed an overseas order on the very first day of the expo, and saw a steady stream of curious visitors stopping by to try out the products.

Another overseas company showcased a VR large-space arena that allows multiple visitors to experience it at once. The game has already attracted players from 35 countries and regions.

"We come here every year to introduce new games. We have many clients, both Chinese and international, from countries like Kazakhstan, Spain, France, and many others. We offer seven VR games with new maps, and our games currently support eight foreign languages," said Denis, the company manager.

China is now home to over 35,000 VR firms, and the whole VR industry is forecast to exceed 350 billion yuan (about 50 billion U.S. dollars) by 2026.

Immersive VR games wow crowds at Guangzhou tech expo