On 8–9 April, the 2026 Plenary Session of the Connectivity (Power) Working Group under the Belt and Road Energy Partnership Cooperation Network and Thematic Activities on Belt and Road Energy Cooperation were held in Shanghai. The event was organized by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and hosted by Shanghai University of Electric Power. Cheng Zhiqiang, Executive Secretary for Cooperation of GEIDCO, Yang Yang, director of the General Affairs Division of the International Department of the National Energy Administration, and Gu Chunhua, President of Shanghai University of Electric Power, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. More than 100 representatives from over 50 members and invited organizations of the Working Group participated in the event.
The Belt and Road Energy Partnership Cooperation Network was established at the Second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference in 2021, with seven working groups formed at that time. GEIDCO was elected as the chair of the Connectivity (Power) Working Group. Over the past five years, GEIDCO has fulfilled its responsibilities as chair agency, spearheaded a wide range of effective work, further deepening BRI energy and power connectivity cooperation.
Cheng Zhiqiang noted that Belt and Road energy cooperation has yielded fruitful results over the years and holds great prospects for future development. Power connectivity remains a critical driver of energy cooperation under the BRI. The Working Group will fully integrate the strengths of government, industry, academia, and research institutions, with a focus on key core clean energy technologies, to advance cross-border collaborative innovation, the transfer and application of technological outcomes, and the alignment and mutual recognition of standards. The Working Group will strive to build an innovation ecosystem characterized by deep integration and efficient synergy across the full chain of industry, academia, research, and application, enabling China's leading green energy technologies, intelligent power equipment, and proven operational experience to better serve the energy development needs of Belt and Road countries. This can help partner countries accelerate modern energy systems that are clean, low-carbon, safe, reliable, and economically efficient, and steadily advance the energy transition process.
Yang Yang spoke highly of the Working Group's achievements. She expressed her expectation that all parties work together to turn the Working Group into an exemplary international platform, implement the Green Energy Cooperation Action Plan, provide support for the Fourth Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference, and contribute to high-quality development of Belt and Road energy cooperation and the global green energy transition.
Gu Chunhua observed that energy cooperation is evolving from "hard connectivity" in infrastructure toward the more sustainable "soft connectivity" of talent development and technological research. With 75 years of deep engagement in the energy and power sector and a teaching and research system covering the entire power industry chain, Shanghai University of Electric Power stands ready to work with all parties to deepen Belt and Road energy and power connectivity and open a new chapter in clean energy cooperation.
The thematic activities featured panel discussions on experience-sharing from Belt and Road energy and power projects, as well as on clean energy technologies and policies. Representatives reached consensus that cross-border energy and power projects currently face numerous constraints: bottlenecks persist in grid interconnection and power absorption, while inadequate policy coordination and a lack of unified standards among Belt and Road countries have undermined the quality and effectiveness of energy cooperation. There is a need to deepen experience exchange and technical collaboration among all parties, improve policy alignment mechanisms, and harness the combined strength of governments, enterprises, and international organizations to overcome cooperation challenges and expand the potential for cooperation.
During the event, participants also visited and held exchange with GEIDCO’s member organizations, including Shanghai University of Electric Power and Siemens Energy.
