China has established the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), a senior energy official said Tuesday.
Wang Hongzhi, head of the National Energy Administration, told a press conference that the 14th Five-Year Plan period featured more abundant energy supply and greater resilience.
He stated that in the first four years of the 14th Five-Year Plan, China's energy consumption growth already reached 1.5 times that of the five years of the 13th Five-Year Plan. It is estimated that the growth of electricity consumption over whole 14th Five-Year Plan period will exceed the annual electricity consumption of the European Union.
China has built the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, with the share of renewables in its total installed power generation capacity rising from around 40 percent to about 60 percent.
"In terms of energy consumption nationwide, the proportion of non-fossil energy increased by one percentage point each year, and is expected to exceed the 20 percent target set for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The proportion of coal-generated power decreased by one percentage point annually. These changes have significantly enhanced the 'greenness' of China's economic development," said Wang.
Market vitality is being unleashed at an accelerated pace. The number of registered business entities in the electricity market has reached 970,000, which is five times the number in 2020.
"The main indicators proposed in the outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan, such as the comprehensive energy production capacity and the proportion of non-fossil energy, will be achieved as scheduled. The energy security of over 1.4 billion people will be effectively guaranteed. China's Green and low-carbon development has attracted worldwide attention, and our country has become an important driver of the world's energy transition," he said.
China builds world's largest, fastest-growing renewable energy system: official
The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked since Saturday evening and will not reopen until the United States lifts its naval blockade on the waterway.
In a statement carried by its official news outlet Sepah News, the IGRC said that the move came after the United States violated its commitments under the two-week ceasefire, which took effect on April 8, and failed to end its naval blockade against Iranian vessels and ports.
The IRGC Navy called on all vessels and their owners to follow official updates via its channel and VHF Channel 16, the international maritime distress, safety, and calling frequency. The statements by U.S. President Donald Trump hold no credibility in the strait and the Gulf, it added.
The IRGC warned that no vessel should move from its anchorage in the Gulf or the Gulf of Oman, and any approach to the strait would be deemed "cooperation with the enemy" and targeted accordingly.
Tehran's political leadership echoed the IRGC's firm position. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iran's control, revealing that during previous negotiations, Iran had firmly countered U.S. attempts to carry out minesweeping operations, which Tehran viewed as a ceasefire violation.
He said the situation had come close to conflict, but the U.S. had eventually backed off.
Calling the U.S. maritime blockade "reckless and ignorant," Ghalibaf warned that passage through the strait would certainly be restricted if Washington does not lift the blockade.
Underpinning these public announcements, Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Saturday affirmed the country's resolve to exercise control and supervision over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until the war is definitively ended and lasting peace is achieved in the region.
For its part, the United States pressed ahead with its own military measures.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday that the U.S. military is imposing a maritime blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and nearby coastal areas. Since the blockade began on April 13, 23 ships have complied with U.S. directions to turn around.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is preparing in the coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing U.S. officials.
The move will enable the U.S. to take control of Iran-linked vessels around the world, including ships carrying Iranian oil that are already sailing outside the Persian Gulf and those carrying arms that could support Tehran, the report said.
Iran's IRGC says Strait of Hormuz blocked, demands end to US naval blockade
