US President Donald Trump said China does not use wind power despite producing most of the world’s wind turbines, prompting an official rebuttal from China and online pushback from Chinese netizens.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan 21, Trump claimed that although China produces “almost all” of the world’s wind turbines, he had not “been able to find any wind farms in China”.
He added that China sells turbines overseas “for a fortune, to the stupid people that buy them”, but does not use them domestically.
China rejected the claims at a press conference on Jan 22.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China’s efforts to develop renewable energy were “obvious to all”, adding that the country’s installed wind power capacity has ranked first in the world for 15 consecutive years, reported Reuters.
Guo also highlighted that China’s exports of wind power and photovoltaic products have helped reduce carbon emissions by about 4.1 billion tons in other countries.
“As a responsible developing country, China is willing to work with all parties to continue to promote the global green and low-carbon transformation,” he said.
The remarks by Trump triggered a wave of online reactions in China.
Chinese netizens responded by sharing firsthand photographs of wind farms from across the country, turning comment sections into a visual showcase of China’s wind power infrastructure.
Users posted images of wind turbines in mountainous regions and offshore installations, highlighting the country’s large-scale deployment of renewable energy.
One wrote: “I never imagined that a picture I just took casually could be shown to Trump.”
In 2023, China reportedly had more than 4,300 wind farms in operation or development.
Trump has repeatedly criticised wind power as costly and inefficient, with offshore wind developers facing disruptions under his administration.
Meanwhile, wind and solar energy generated more electricity than fossil fuels for the first time in the European Union last year, signalling the bloc’s ongoing shift to low-carbon energy, Reuters reported.
Read the full article here
