China is accelerating its push to build a new energy system under Xi as Beijing seeks to strengthen energy security amid global uncertainty. President Xi Jinping called for faster planning and construction of a new energy system while also stressing low-carbon development, support for coal, hydropower, and the safe expansion of nuclear power.
The remarks come as the Middle East conflict continues to unsettle energy markets. While Xi did not directly mention the war in the quoted comments, places his message against a backdrop of global energy shocks and renewed concern over supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.
Xi’s comments reflect China’s long-running effort to balance energy security with cleaner growth. Publicly available state media reports also show that China has built what Xi described as the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, while continuing to frame low-carbon development as a strategic priority.
That balance is central to China’s energy approach. On the one hand, the country wants greater resilience through renewables, hydropower, and nuclear power. On the other hand, it still sees coal as a stabilising force in the wider system.
Xi did not present renewables as a full replacement for coal. Instead, he said coal-fired power remains the foundation of China’s energy system and should continue to play a supporting role.
That is significant because China remains heavily reliant on coal even as it expands cleaner energy. Coal accounts for more than half of the country’s energy mix, helping explain why Beijing believes it is relatively better positioned to absorb higher oil prices than some other economies.
At the same time, Xi’s message reinforced China’s push toward greener energy. He highlighted progress in wind and solar power while also calling for hydropower development, ecological protection, and the safe, orderly expansion of nuclear power. Public reporting from Xinhua has also emphasised China’s growing renewable capacity and broader low-carbon agenda. That gives Xi’s latest remarks a clear policy context: Beijing is not abandoning traditional energy sources, but it is trying to build a more diversified and resilient system around them.
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The timing of the remarks adds another layer to the story. With energy markets under pressure and the Middle East war continuing, China appears to be signalling that domestic energy security remains a strategic priority.
In that context, Xi’s call is about more than climate policy alone. It is also about protecting economic stability, reducing exposure to global shocks, and reinforcing China’s long-term energy planning.
