China's new energy industry has risen rapidly, driven by long-term policy support, sustained homegrown innovation, and the accelerated formation of a strong and resilient industrial ecosystem, said Zeng Yuqun, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Zeng, who is also the founder and chairman of Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL) made the statement in a group interview ahead of the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, which commenced at 15:00 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Zeng attributed the industry's success to China's strategic consistency over multiple Five-Year plans, culminating in continued support during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). He said that more than two decades of sustained encouragement for renewable energy have provided companies and industry professionals with a clear direction.
The sector's growth is also rooted in the hard work of enterprises and the build-out of an integrated value chain, Zeng noted. China has developed a comprehensive ecosystem spanning upstream resource development, materials, battery manufacturing, applications, and recycling.
He emphasized that beyond supply-chain deployment, the most critical factor has been a firm commitment to independent innovation.
"We have invested more than 80 billion yuan (about 11.59 billion U.S. dollars) in research and development to date, with annual R and D spending exceeding 20 billion yuan in recent years. We have more than 21,000 people engaged in independent R and D and generated more than 50,000 patents. As a result, CATL's battery products are now used in more than 20 million vehicles across dozens of countries and regions, and in more than 3,000 energy storage stations worldwide," he said.
Looking ahead, Zeng said the industry cannot rely solely on its current model.
"We will increase our investment in R and D, especially by applying more artificial intelligence technology to enhance R and D efforts. But where is the true focus of this investment? It lies in new materials, new chemical systems, new structural systems, new energy systems, and new manufacturing systems. We refer to this as intelligent manufacturing. As a leading enterprise, CATL consistently upholds a vision of openness, sharing, win-win cooperation, and common prosperity. We will sell our Chinese products to the world and also promote our technologies and standards globally. We aim to bring Chinese products to global markets while also promoting technology and standards internationally, and to work with peers worldwide, striving together to make outstanding contributions to new energy industry for mankind," he said.
Policy, innovation, ecosystem power China's new energy sector: CPPCC member
