In response to the recent labeling of China's new energy industry as "overcapacity" by some Western countries, Ding Weishun, Deputy Director of the Policy Research Office of the Ministry of Commerce, stated in a large-scale multimedia interview program called "China Economic Roundtable" released by Xinhua News Agency on the 20th that the notion that exporting more implies "overcapacity" is completely untenable. Equating China's high export of new energy products to "overcapacity" not only defies logic and common sense but also seriously contradicts objective facts.
Ding Weishun elaborated from two perspectives. Looking at international trade, the generation and development of international trade are based on different comparative advantages of various countries in terms of factor endowments, technological accumulation, and development paths, which leads to international division of labor cooperation and mutual benefit, thereby effectively enhancing global economic efficiency and welfare. From the perspective of market economy principles, in the context of economic globalization, supply and demand issues should be viewed globally, not just from the perspective of one country. In today's world economy, interdependence has become an inseparable whole; production and consumption are both global, requiring matching and adjustment of supply and demand from a global perspective.
Ding Weishun cited a set of data: developed countries such as the United States, Europe, and Japan have long exported a large number of products to the world. Approximately 80% of the chips produced in the United States are exported, while nearly 80% and about 50% of the cars produced in Germany and Japan, respectively, are used for export. A large number of passenger aircraft produced by Boeing and Airbus are also for export. As for China, in 2023, the proportion of new energy vehicles exported accounted for only about 12.7% of the total production.
Green and low-carbon development is the trend, and global demand for new energy products continues to expand. The development space of the new energy industry remains vast. Advanced production capacity is not only not excessive but rather relatively insufficient. According to research by the International Energy Agency, to achieve carbon neutrality goals, global sales of new energy vehicles need to reach about 45 million units by 2030, more than three times that of 2023; global demand for power batteries by 2030 will reach 3500 GWh, more than four times the global shipment volume in 2023, all far exceeding current global supply capabilities.
"Relevant countries and regions cannot wave the flag of green development on one hand while wielding the club of protectionism on the other." Responding to this issue earlier, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong stated that this is a typical self-contradiction and double standard, a form of "double standards," which will not only hinder global green transformation and undermine confidence in climate change cooperation but also dampen the determination of enterprises to carry out foreign trade and investment cooperation.
