Haikou, September 19-20, 2023 - The 7th China-Arab Energy Cooperation Conference convened in Haikou, Hainan Province, with prominent figures from both regions in attendance. Key participants included Zhang Jianhua, Director General oftheNational Energy Administrationof China; Osama Ali Aslan, Deputy Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy of Egypt; Ali Ibrahim Al-Malki, Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab League; and Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province. Wu Wenhao, Executive Vice Chairman and Secretary General of IF-CSHE, delivered a speech during the high-level dialogue session of the Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Storage Sub-forum.

Wu Wenhao showcased the achievements of China's hydropower industry over the past four decades and emphasized its vital role in national energy security and sustainable development amidst the current era of energy transition and carbon neutrality. He delineated the development trajectory of renewable energy both domestically and globally, underlining the strategic importance and extensive collaboration opportunities inherent in China-Arab energy cooperation within the context of global climate change and energy transition.

During his address, Wu Wenhao proposed concrete suggestions for collaboration, including the integrated development of basin water, wind, and solar resources, as well as pumped storage energy. He expressed CSHE's readiness to collaborate with Arab counterparts to leverage hydropower's advantages, provide technical support, share Chinese expertise, foster cooperation opportunities, drive technological innovation, and facilitate project investment to collectively advance energy transition and carbon neutrality objectives.

The China-Arab Energy Cooperation Conference, a pivotal mechanism within the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum framework, serves as a platform for deliberating on the prospects of energy cooperation and fostering closer ties between China and Arab nations in the energy sector. Co-hosted by the National Energy Administration, the Arab League Secretariat, and the Hainan Provincial People's Government, the conference aligns with the mandates set forth during the China-Arab Summit in December 2022, the China-GCC Summit, and the China-Saudi Arabia Summit. Through its multiple sub-forums covering oil and gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and hydrogen storage, the conference facilitates pragmatic cooperation across various domains between China and Arab nations.