By Zamir Ahmed Awan， a senior fellow with Center for China and Globalization（CCG）

Pakistan‘s population of 220 million is set to grow at a rate of 1。5 percent annually， which will lead to drastically growing demands for energy。 However， energy deficiency has been a serious challenge to the security and economy of the country。 Currently， almost 80 percent of Pakistan’s energy supply comes from the burning of fossil fuels， such as the oil and gas that Pakistan has to import。

At the same time， Pakistan is blessed with natural resources such as sunlight and wind。 According to recent studies， Pakistan‘s solar potential is estimated to be over 100，000 megawatts。 Excellent conditions for harnessing solar energy can be found in the southwestern province of Balochistan， where the sun shines about eight hours daily or approximately 3，000 hours per year。 For many Pakistani villagers who live far from the national grid， distributed solar power provides an ideal solution。

Facing the urgency of global climate change， Pakistan has been promoting more environmentally friendly renewable energy in recent years。 The government intends to boost the share of clean and green energy to 60-65 percent of the total energy mix by 2030。 Some key initiatives have been taken， such as the Solar Village Electrification program， under which more than 40，000 villages that are too far from the national grid to be economically connected now have energy access， and the Solar Powered Efficient Pumps program which is designed to replace 1。1 million water pumps that were previously operated with either insufficient electricity or diesel。 The Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power in Punjab is the first utility-scale solar power plant in the country。

To promote solar energy， the Pakistani government has also offered a flexible and attractive policy that includes tax incentives and legal protection for the return on investment （which is usually eight years， the highest in the world）。 Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor （CPEC）， further incentives are offered for Chinese investors， along with other preferential treatment。

As the interviews in the book Belt and Road Through My Village have shown， Pakistani people are the beneficiaries of solar energy， which has improved the socioeconomic conditions of the common people， enhanced their income and made their lives more comfortable。 Solar energy has served as a catalyst in poverty eradication。 People are happy and grateful to their Chinese brethren and welcome more similar development projects to improve their lives。 These projects are cost-effective， and， contrary to Western propaganda， they are not debt traps。

China is a world leader in solar energy and has been meeting the worldwide demand。 Today， China can share its solar technology， experience and environmental improvement stories with the rest of the world。 The Pakistani government’s new policies and determination to develop solar energy provide Chinese solar companies and investors， as well as the Pakistani people， a great opportunity to grow together cleanly and sustainably。

From China Daily， 2021-10-01

CCG Books

● Published by Springer

● Edited by Wang Huiyao and Alistair Michie

More Information

This book brings together leading international scholars and policy-makers to explore the challenges and dilemmas of globalization and governance in an era increasingly defined by economic crises， widespread populism， retreating internationalism， and a looming cold war between the United States and China。 It provides the diversity of views on those widely concerned topics such as global governance， climate change， global health， migration， S&T revolution， financial market， and sustainable development。

● Links：

https：//www。springer。com/gp/book/9789811653902

● Published by Springer

● Edited by Wang Huiyao， President and Miao Lu， Vice President， Center for China and Globalization（CCG）， Beijing， China

More Information

The internationalization of Chinese enterprises is one of the most notable aspects of economic globalization in the 21st century。 Despite the 2008 financial crisis and weak global outbound investment， under the “go global“ initiative， Chinese outbound investment has gone from strength to strength， while also diversifying in terms of investment modalities， destinations， and industries。 However， growing anti-globalization sentiment in some countries has also created new challenges for Chinese firms expanding internationally。

Drawing on nearly 3000 data samples， using both quantitative and qualitative research methods， this book presents unique insights into the features and patterns of Chinese enterprises’ globalization。 The analysis provides a useful reference for enterprises that have already gone global and those that plan to。 In particular， this book investigates challenges confronted by Chinese companies when doing business in foreign countries。 It summarizes research covering three angles， namely： the current situation， causation analysis and corresponding solutions， and recommendations for firms， government agencies and other institutions。

This book provides a comprehensive overview to help readers to grasp the broad picture of the international expansion of Chinese enterprises。 It has important reference value for enterprises to help devise foreign investment strategy， seize opportunities， and navigate challenges in the course of globalization。

● Links：

https：//www。springer。com/cn/book/9789811546457

● Published by Edward Elgar

● Edited by Wang Huiyao， President and Miao Lu， Vice President， Center for China and Globalization（CCG）， Beijing， China

More Information

An excellent guide for understanding the trends， challenges and opportunities facing China through globalization， this Handbook answers the pertinent questions regarding the globalization process and China’s influence on the world。

With contributions from leading experts and international researchers， each chapter covers key topics regarding China’s participation in globalization， including： China’s new role in global economic governance； outward direct investment； China’s soft power and the implications for foreign relations； global migration， diaspora and talent。 An enriching range of case studies and extensive empirical research are used to explore the successes and failures of globalization in China， and to discuss the dilemmas facing decision makers in today’s globalized world。 A major contribution to the field， this Handbook offers valuable insights to China’s often misunderstood globalization process。

An essential reference for academics and researchers looking for a go-to empirical resource， this Handbook provides scholars of economics， politics and East Asian studies with an exemplary selection of contemporary research on China and globalization。

● Links：

https：//www。e-elgar。com/shop/handbook-on-china-and-globalization

● Published by Springer

● Authors： Wang Huiyao， President and Miao Lu， Vice President， Center for China and Globalization（CCG）， Beijing， China

The first effort to address the gap regarding higher-end talent within the scholarly work on internal labor migration in China

Provides an essential overview of the major milestones in China’s talents attraction policies， as well as several recommendations to help further improve those policies

Investigates corresponding policies in Germany， Japan， and Singapore to serve as a basis for comparison

Provides a snapshot of first-hand reference material for relevant stakeholders involved in cooperation with China

More Information

This book offers the most comprehensive， up-to-date assessment of China’s domestic and international migration。 Restructuring economic development requires large numbers of educated and skilled talents， but this effort comes at a time when the size of China’s domestic workforce is shrinking。 In response， both national and regional governments in China have been keen to encourage overseas Chinese talents and professionals to return to the country。 Meanwhile， the Chinese government has initiated a number of policies to attract international highly-skilled talents and enhance the country’s competitiveness， and some Chinese policies have started attracting foreign talents， who are coming to the country to work， and even to stay。 Since Chinese policies， mechanisms， and administration efforts to attract and retain skilled domestic or overseas talents are helping to reshape China’s economy and are significantly affecting the cooperation on migration and talent mobility， these aspects， in addition to being of scholarly and research interest， hold considerable commercial potential。

● Links：

https：//www。springer。com/gp/book/9789811362552#aboutBook