By Wang Gaofei, Zhao Li, Chen Su
(ECNS) -- China's production capacity in the new energy sector has helped lower the cost of clean technologies and provided important support for the global energy transition, a Turkish economist and columnist said on Thursday.
Serhat Latifoğlu, economist and columnist for Turkish newspaper Aydınlık, made the remarks at the China-Türkiye Dialogue on Ecological Civilization and Green Transformation, held in Istanbul during the ongoing 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya.
Latifoğlu said green transformation was fundamentally an issue of industry and production, noting that China had helped lower the cost of clean technologies by building a complete, new energy industrial chain.
"There is a well-known saying in China: 'Clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver.' In my view, this saying captures the essence of the matter: protecting the environment is not an obstacle to development; it is development itself. But there is one condition: you must be capable of producing the technology that safeguards those green mountains," he said.
Over the past 15 years, the costs of clean energy technologies, including solar panels, wind turbines and lithium-ion batteries, have fallen significantly, with battery costs down about 90%, he said.
Latifoğlu attributed the drop to China's development model, which supports planned, long-term production and industrial development. By designating new energy technologies as a strategic sector, China has built a complete industrial chain, covering polysilicon, solar cells, modules, batteries and electric vehicles, he said.
In 2025 alone, China added 315 gigawatts of solar power capacity, he noted.
"This production capacity has exerted a global disinflationary effect. It has made clean technology cheaper and more accessible," Latifoğlu said, adding that large-scale solar energy investments across Africa, the Middle East and South Asia were made possible mainly by the price reductions brought about through China's economies of scale.
China's contribution to global climate action, he said, was reflected not only in commitments made at international conferences, but also in what it produces.
Speaking about China-Türkiye cooperation, Latifoğlu said China had advantages in scale, technology and experience, while Türkiye had an industrial base, skilled labor and a strategic geographic position connecting Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. Combining these strengths could create complementary advantages and generate synergies, he said.
"China's experience shows us this is achievable: with sound planning, production-centered development and resolve, it is possible both to develop and to conserve nature," Latifoğlu said.
The event was jointly hosted by China News Service and the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, with China News Network and the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment as co-organizers.
This marked the second time that China News Service's "News Lounge" had held a series of multilateral events in Türkiye. Representatives from government departments, research institutions, businesses and media organizations from both China and Türkiye attended the dialogue.
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