China's first energy law came into effect on Wednesday, strengthening the legal basis for the energy sector, playing a role in ensuring national energy security, and promoting green and low-carbon transformation for the world's largest energy producer and consumer.
The Energy Law provides that China will continue to advance clean and low-carbon energy sector development by prioritizing the development and utilization of renewable energy, promoting clean and efficient utilization of fossil fuels, and improving the energy utilization efficiency.
The overarching national statute formally integrates hydrogen, previously classified as hazardous chemicals, into the energy management system.
"The Energy Law is the first Chinese national law to provide for hydrogen as a type of energy, clarifying its energy attribute and opening up chances to promote the development of the hydrogen energy business. The law also defines the legal significance of the Green Electricity Certificates and supports increased green electricity use throughout society," said Wan Jinsong, deputy head of the National Energy Administration.
The Green Electricity Certificates or GECs were piloted in 2017 to build a renewable electricity market-based mechanism in China.
GECs are the sole way to validate renewable energy production and consumption.
According to official figures, China had issued 3.55 billion GECs by October, 2024.
Wan said the Energy Law will promote the transformation of energy security.
"The Energy Law sets the order of importance for developing and using fossil fuels and renewable energy. It makes it clear that priority should be given to the development and utilization of renewable energy, and the ability to switch to non-fossil energy in a safe, reliable and orderly way should be improved," Wan said.
Experts said as the core and regulating law in the energy industry, the Energy Law has constructed the institutional system for green and low-carbon energy development.
"The enactment of the Energy Law signifies that China has a basically sound system for regulating energy. It already includes the Electricity Law, the Coal Law, the Renewable Energy Law, and the Energy Conservation Law, among other laws, rules, and administrative regulations," said Wang Peng, president of the National Institute of Energy Development Strategy, North China Electric Power University.
According to the experts, the Energy Law is more comprehensive than those separate laws, spelling out how different types of energy should be used and giving basic rules for making sure that the growth of all types of energy is coordinated.
China's first energy law takes effect, highlighting green, low-carbon development
Leaders of the China Search and Rescue Team dispatched to Myanmar following a deadly earthquake recalled details of their difficult rescue operations.
The powerful 7.9-magnitude quake, the strongest recorded in the country in a century, rocked the Sagaing Region of Myanmar on March 28, with the epicenter close to Mandalay, the country's second-largest city.
As of April 2, the China Search and Rescue Team had successfully participated in the rescue of five survivors since arriving in the earthquake-stricken area in Myanmar. Chinese rescue forces as a whole had rescued a total of nine survivors.
Zhao Ming, head of the Chinese national rescue team, said in an interview with China Media Group that the high temperature increased the difficulty of rescue. Fortunately, the rescue team received support from the local people.
"We brought along some necessary medicines and equipment, and actively sought solutions locally. I think our actions inspired the local people, who spontaneously sent us some drinks and many electric fans. Of course, we also took strict measures on the rescue scene. The smell of decay was very strong at the earthquake site, so we asked our operation teams to conduct disinfection before leaving the site and after returning," Zhao said.
On March 31, the China Search and Rescue Team pulled out four survivors - three adult females and a girl - after 13 hours of hard work in Myanmar's seriously-hit Mandalay City.
At 00:40 March 31 local time, an adult female trapped for nearly 60 hours was rescued after over five hours of relentless work, marking the first survivor rescued by the team in the city.
Without pausing for rest, the rescuers immediately moved to another nearby site at the Sky Villa apartment complex.
Recalling details of the rescue mission, Li Guangnai, deputy leader of the China Search and Rescue Team, said that effective search and rescue methods improved efficiency at the dangerous and complicated structure.
"When we rescued the second and third survivors, they were in Block C of the apartment, which collapsed like a pancake. After arriving at the scene, the rescuers went to the roof according to the direction given by the survivors' family members. When we used the radar life detector on the roof, we did not find them. So we created absolute silence by suspending all rescue operations and then knocked on the floor with stones to transmit the sound to see if there was any response from the trapped people. We knocked continuously and received a response from inside. Through the sound, we quickly confirmed the approximate location. According to the evaluation of the experts on the scene, we used a method of top-to-bottom demolition for the rescue," Li said.
At 05:37 on the day, a 5-year-old girl who was buried in Block C of Sky Villa was rescued. Li said the girl was curled up in fear in the corner of the wardrobe when being found, protecting her head with a teddy bear.
About an hour later, a woman who was buried in the same rubble was successfully rescued. She was 26 weeks pregnant. At around 07:15, a 29-year-old woman trapped in Block A of Sky Villa was pulled out of the debris. She was trapped under the broken beam on the sixth floor for 65 hours.
Another survivor was miraculously pulled out alive from beneath the rubble of a collapsed hotel in central Myanmar's disaster-hit Mandalay City on April 2. The male survivor was said to be in a stable condition after spending nearly 125 hours buried among the ruins of the Golden Country Hotel building.
Zhao said that after the 72-hour "golden window" for rescue, the China Search and Rescue Team would begin to cooperate with local authorities to carry out diagnosis and treatment of the injured and disaster assessment.
"As the possibility of finding survivors in the disaster area decreases, our team can assist the local area in some other work. For example, today we officially set up an outpatient clinic on the street with the permission of the local government. Our earthquake engineering experts can conduct emergency assessments on some buildings," he said.
Chinese rescue team recalls details in Myanmar earthquake rescue missions
