Environmental Studies experts criticized the Western claim of “China’s overcapacity” and the tariffs on Chinese products such as electric vehicles (EVs) as "very unfair", as China’s energy transition is crucial for global ecological protection.
In an exclusive interview with China News Network on the sideline of the International Forum on the History and Future of Xinjiang, China held in Kashi, John Grim, senior lecturer and senior research scholar at School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, said“It's very encouraging to see the way that China has responded to the need for alternative energies.”
He pointed out that amid its economic miracle, China has set an example for the world in solar power, wind power, and new forms of electric vehicles. “China is modeling and leading in this regard,” he said.
Since 1986, John has frequently visited China, witnessing numerous changes over the past 30 years. During the forum, he shared his profound impression of the widespread ecological civilization concepts in many Chinese academic institutions during his visit in September 2023.
"Discussions on ecological civilization have significantly increased in recent years. Now, almost every university has a school or institute based on ecological civilization for environmental education and training," he noted, highlighting that the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as one of China’s top think tanks, has established a dedicated Institute of Ecological Civilization to further research and development in this field.
Mary Tucker-Grim, professor at the same Yale School, praised China's green and low-carbon development philosophy in the interview. She believes that balancing economic development and environmental protection is key in both in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the rest of China.
Mary pointed out that the concept of “Green GDP” is recognized and valued in China, and the development of a circular economy is being actively promoted so the West needs to catch up with China in these areas.
“We want to encourage China's transformation and that transformation from a hyper-industrial society to ecological culture and civilization is what's absolutely needed. But this accusation towards China of overproduction and so on is very unfair. I think the tariffs are very unfair for solar and for EVs. We cannot create China like an enemy. This is not a healthy foreign policy at all, ” she said.
“The surveys that our friend at Peking University has taken of China shows 95 percent of surveyed Chinese people know about climate change and its seriousness. There is nowhere in the Western world that has a statistic close to that, certainly not the U.S. and even in Europe,” she added.
Mary believes that China plays a leading role in addressing climate change and promoting energy transition, expressing her hope that Western countries can develop mutually beneficial and enhance relationships with China in this field.
