A Chinese state-owned energy company on Sunday launched a project to increase the use of electric engines in vessels on the Grand Canal, which links Beijing with Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province, as China accelerates the green transformation of its transportation sector.
According to the China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited, also known as Energy China, the project aims to accelerate the clean transformation of canal shipping by introducing new energy technologies.
The project will also focus on environmental protection and the preservation of the Grand Canal as a millennia-old cultural landmark.
"We will support multi-dimensional development by focusing on market needs and upgrading core technologies. Together, we will work to solve problems in innovating energy integration. We aim to develop a smart big data platform for energy integration to connect data from transportation, energy, and the internet sectors and improve intelligent energy integration," said Ni Zhen, general manager of Energy China.
With a history of more than 2,500 years, the Grand Canal was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in China in June 2014.
China has been making significant strides in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector, which currently account for over 10 percent of the country's total.
Grand Canal cargo vessels go electric as China speeds up green transformation
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi emphasized the importance of win-win cooperation for shared prosperity at the Summit of the Future held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York on Monday.
During his address, Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, described the world as a giant ship, asserting that countries must unite to navigate the challenges ahead.
"Countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but rather we're all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges. Small boats may not survive wind and waves, but a giant ship is strong enough to brave the stormy seas. Countries need to share development opportunities and pursue win-win cooperation," Wang said.
As the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Wang is in New York to attend the UN Summit of the Future and the general debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly from September 22 to 28.
More than 130 heads of state and government attended the Summit of the Future, which opened on Sunday.
The Summit adopted a Pact for the Future, as well as its annexes the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, which cover a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations and the transformation of global governance.
Wang Yi calls for pursuing win-win cooperation at UN Summit of Future
