Beijing continues to assert its position as a dominant force in wind power production and promotion worldwide after questioning from U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. During his address to a global assembly of policymakers and business executives, Trump challenged the presence of actual wind farms within China, despite the country's prominence in manufacturing wind turbines. He described Chinese purchasers of wind energy equipment as lacking foresight.
Countering these remarks, Guo Jiakun, representing the Chinese foreign ministry, spoke at a routine press briefing, emphasizing China's longstanding and substantial contributions to renewable energy development. He stated, "China’s efforts to tackle climate change and promote the development and application of renewable energy in the world are obvious to all." Guo affirmed that China has led the world in wind power installation capacity for 15 years consecutively and pointed out that the nation’s exports of wind power technology and photovoltaic products have helped other countries reduce their carbon footprints by approximately 4.1 billion tons.
In response to the criticism, Guo further highlighted China’s readiness to collaborate with international partners to advance the global shift towards environmentally sustainable energy solutions. This exchange is set against the backdrop of President Trump’s well-documented skepticism towards wind power, citing concerns about the aesthetic and economic aspects of turbines, and his administration’s repeated challenges to offshore wind power development projects.
China maintains its role as the top global producer of wind energy equipment. However, in 2024, the European Union initiated an investigation into subsidies granted to Chinese wind turbine suppliers targeting European markets, echoing protective measures to defend European manufacturers from competitively priced imports. Beijing has denounced this investigation as protectionist in nature. Meanwhile, the EU witnessed a landmark achievement last year with wind and solar energy sources surpassing fossil fuels in electricity generation for the first time, signifying the bloc’s ongoing commitment to green energy despite some political resistance.