State Councilor Dai Bingguo (right) and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the third China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

WASHINGTON - As concerns over energy security grows across the globe, the two largest producers and consumers of energy in the world will continue to cooperate in climate change initiatives and clean energy development, senior officials from China and the United States said Monday.

During the third round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo co-chaired the Strategic Track with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and exchanged views on climate change, clean energy and regional issues.

China and the US now have similar measures in place, including developing clean energy, enhancing energy efficiency, conserving energy and alternatives, ensuring safe development of nuclear power and other areas, said Liu Tiejun, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, during his keynote speech on energy security and clean energy development.

In light of the current turmoil in the Middle East, international oil price fluctuation and the nuclear crisis in Japan, he suggested that the two countries should focus their efforts in maintaining oil security, expanding mutual investment and developing clean energy.

The two sides will participate in the Energy Policy Dialogue, the Oil and Gas Industry Forum, the Renewable Energy Industry Forum and the Advanced Bio-fuels Forum later this year. And the first China International Solar Decathlon will be jointly held in 2013.

Clinton said "substantial progress" has been achieved on the seven new US-China clean energy initiatives started during President Barack Obama's visit to Beijing in November 2009, including the Electric Vehicles Initiative, the Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the Shale Gas Resource Initiative.

"I think that the policy choices which we have made on critical energy security issues, including promoting open and efficient markets, and dealing with potential oil supply emergencies and the safe expansion of nuclear energy, are especially timely for us to address," she said.

On climate change, the US wants to follow through on the Green Fund that was agreed to in Cancun, set up a climate change technology center and network, and write the guidelines for a new regime of "transparency and accountability", she said.

Under the 10-Year Framework on Energy and Environmental Cooperation launched in 2008, the two countries have been actively engaging in exchanges in energy policy and cooperation in oil, natural gas, civilian nuclear energy, wind and solar energy, smart grids, advanced bio-fuels, clean coal, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and clean energy technology standards.

An "eco-city" project, developed by Duke Energy and China's ENN Group, will help Langfang in northern China's Hebei province and Charlotte, North Carolina. The two areas will use electricity produced by cleaner generation technologies and benefit from advancements in energy storage and energy efficiency. The project will also employ energy-recovery technologies, such as using algae to absorb carbon, and a grid designed for efficient use of electric cars, according to Chinese Science Minister Wan Gang.

In addition, Shanghai and Los Angeles have signed an agreement to use electric vehicles built around the world and explore the business and management models for future development, he said.

There is a general recognition that the US and China have a real responsibility to cooperate to ensure energy security, and deal with climate change, said a senior US administration official who briefed the media on the talks.

China's production of green technologies has grown by 77 percent in a year, according to a report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. It was unveiled at an industry conference on Monday in Amsterdam.

China is the largest producer of clean technologies in monetary terms, earning more than $64 billion, or 1.4 percent of its GDP.

The US is also growing very fast at a rate of 28 percent per year since 2008, ranking 17th in the production of clean technologies with 0.3 percent of its GDP, or $45 billion, according to the report.

China Daily