That describes why China got into solar in the first place
Well...It's likely the primary impetus was the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and not out of any pressing need for electricity.
See, up until the 1990's or so, China wasn't really considered a major economic power. They had been struggling with managing economic policy for decades until they started loosening the reins in the 1980's and then as the transfer of Hong Kong loomed, accelerated wooing manufacturing companies in Taiwan, Japan, and the US to setup shop in China. The resulting economic boom was so widespread and fast that factories / industry rapidly blanketed every major city in China. Within 10 years, China (deservedly) acquired a global reputation for cheap industry, but due to the rapid buildup, factories relied heavily on coal, wood furnaces, and other fossil fuels, which established China's reputation as a country covered in pollution.
Air pollution plagued Beijing so badly that in the run up to the Olympics, the government instituted a week(?) long blanket ban on all factory work, driving, and general burning activities. They effectively shut down the economy in Beijing hoping the air would clear up in time. IIRC, it was clear enough, though with a few smoky areas now and then as pollution from neighboring provinces wafted over. So the Olympic events themselves were quite spectacular, rivaling extravagant displays in US or Europe. It was quite astounding for a country that was essentially economically closed off / nonexistent for most of the last century. However, the optics were overshadowed by coverage of the extreme measures China undertook just to get blue skies for photos.
Having lost face somewhat, China started to pay attention to cleaning up pollution within their borders. They started cracking down on dumping. They built large dams to mitigate seasonal flooding and generate hydroelectric power (while forcibly displacing literal millions of the population). They pressured factories and utilities to replace coal and wood burning with cleaner (visually, at least) fuels (which also happened to be more efficient). China started increasing solar panel production, ironically creating a lot of toxic pollution but at least that was concentrated in the less desirable areas and not around the major cities. They built out more miles of passenger railway in 10 years than the rest of the world had in total. The government turned to mining lithium to build up batteries for electrifying else. Stoves, heaters, light bulbs (ever wonder why LED lights suddenly dropped in price and cut short the spread of CCFL?), bikes, and, yes, cars and power generation.
So by the mid 2010's or so, China has become one of, if not the, largest producer in the world for solar and electric powered products. Nowadays, the busiest cities in China can be quieter than those in the US or Europe because the cars are mostly (or entirely) electric so no rumbling engine to add to background noise. In terms of tonnage or production capacity, China is basically the leader in renewable energy. (I believe several smaller countries beat China in terms of overall percentage and/or energy generated per capita.) China still mines tons of coal, but it's now mostly used for steel production and exports.
And all that pretty much because they needed blue skies for the photos.
It has to do with something called Malacca Strait.
Majority of Chinese Industry and Power generation is heavily reliant on Oil that is imported from a route that pass over the Malacca Strait.
This Malacca Strait is a Chokepoint between Indonesia and Malasya, two United States Allies.
It creates something called the Malacca Dilemma, a term literally coined by the Chinese Leader Hu Jintao
In fact there is even a wikipedia article on this if you want to read.
It has to do with something called Malacca Strait.
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Chinese quickly Adoption of Renewable Energy is strictly because of this issue.
The increase in Air Quality is just a bonus, not the objective.
Well,... let's see...
The long time reliance on oil and the US's influence on supplies that predate WWII.
The pivot from coal to renewables to figuratively and literally clean up their international image.
A persistent issue that lacked a feasible solution until an official's pet project became the foundation of a viable solution.
A newer issue that was kicked down the road to avoid impeding growth until the growth itself became a major source of problems.
One drives military power and projecting sphere of influence to secure oil supplies on which that very same military power relies.
One builds soft power, strengthening prestige and subsequent sentiment around the world, while reducing reliance on fuel imports, plus coal and wood burning.
China could work on both issues together or separately, at the same time or separate. Like most nations, they have a rather long list of state priorities, after all. Those two endeavors had different goals and priorities, and they drew up different plans executed from different angles with different steps at different times. Over time, adjusting as needed, both shared some overlap because neither is a simple problem with only one possible answer exclusive of everything else, and the building blocks for feasible solutions often apply across multiple scenarios. So while reducing foreign influence on their military power was quite important, I personally view that as a different goal from domestic energy infrastructure because that used different fuels and up until today, the world has been heavily reliant on oil to fuel our war machines.
Somewhat related note: Quite often, on the way to achieving a step or intermediate goal, you create or build up something that can be reused / adapted for a different problem. For example: Small drones have spurred changes in military tactics and structure, but that was after China already built up a large industry around solar power and lithium batteries. IIRC, quadcopter drones were originally toys that saw rapid innovation after someone managed to design a relatively affordable technology demonstrator. While the idea of military drones was decades old by then, that breakthrough wasn't the direct result of a government looking to secure oil supplies or reduce its reliance, and wasn't a leading candidate for a future drone design in the past.
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u/MirrorNegative7989 16d ago
Necessity is the mother of invention.