Journalists from 14 Countries Learn China's Desertification Control through Photovoltaics in “Jiangnan Beyond the Great Wall”

From September 18 to 23, the 2024 “Discover China” International Media Exchange Program, co-hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association and Global Times Online, embarked on its second journey of the year following the earlier visit to Jiangsu. Journalists from 14 countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Fiji, visited the Tengger Desert New Energy Base in Zhongwei, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. There, they learned about advanced windbreak and sand control concepts and experienced the practice of grass grid sand stabilization.

According to Pan Zhanguo, Chief Engineer of the Zhongwei Maintenance Center at Longyuan Ningxia Company, the Tengger Desert New Energy Base in Ningxia is China’s largest wind and solar power base located in desertified areas. It is the first project among the nation’s 10-gigawatt desert power bases to be officially approved, commenced, and put into operation. The base has a planned total installed capacity of 13 million kilowatts of new energy, with the first phase generating 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the yearly power consumption of 1.5 million households.

Foreign journalists listened attentively to the presentation in the conference room[Photo/China Daily]

Foreign journalists expressed great interest in China’s photovoltaic industry, eagerly asking Pan Zhanguo a series of questions: “Where is the generated electricity transmitted, and how is it delivered?” “What are the advantages of photovoltaics compared to traditional power generation?” “How many jobs can this industry provide?” “Will vegetation obstruct the solar panels, and how will you handle the vegetation later?” Journalists from Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia shared a common concern: "Is there currently, or will there be in the future, any agreement to invest and build similar projects in their countries or other regions of Africa?"

Rawlings Otieno Ondijo, a journalist from Kenya's People Daily, told Global Times Online that there is a 35-megawatt photovoltaic power station in Kenya's Garissa County, constructed by a Chinese company. “We should follow the path of green and clean energy. The large-scale solar panels I see here could be replicated in other African countries. What we have learned is that natural resources can be harnessed to provide sufficient electricity. We advocate for our national energy companies to invest more in photovoltaic projects in northern Kenya,” Rawlings said.

Journalists from Nigeria and Zimbabwe both expressed that their countries are facing severe power shortages and crises, and that they are unable to develop the power industry on their own. They also conveyed a strong desire for cooperation with China. Jonathan Tinavo Mharivha, General Manager of Zimbabwe National Television, said, “We have an abundance of sunshine, yet no large-scale solar power plants. China has consistently been helping our country with electricity, building power stations in Hwange and constructing a photovoltaic plant at Kariba Dam. Strengthening cooperation between China and Zimbabwe in the power sector would significantly help address our power crisis.” Nigerian and Ghanaian journalists even directly asked to add Bai Xuesong, Deputy Director of the Party Building Department at Longyuan Power, on WeChat, hoping to advance cooperation on photovoltaic projects between China and African nations.

At the site, Tang Ximing, Chief Engineer of the Zhongwei State-owned Forestry Farm, explained to the journalists China's unique methods for windbreak, sand fixation, and water conservation. Under his guidance, the journalists experienced the process of creating grass grid sand stabilization firsthand. Afework Eyayu Jemere, a producer at Fana Broadcasting Corporate from Ethiopia, received a commemorative stamp with the phrase “Socialism is Achieved through Hard Work” after the visit. He told Global Times Online, “Ethiopia also has some desert areas, and we can learn from China’s sand control experience. Today, I understood the meaning of ‘Socialism is Achieved through Hard Work,’ and it’s something I will never forget.”

An Ethiopian journalist holding the commemorative stamp with the phrase “Socialism is Achieved through Hard Work”[Photo/China Daily]

Source：

https://cn.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202409/25/WS66f3ccfca310b59111d9b21f.html; https://wap.chinanews.com/wap/detail/chs/zw/10293486.shtml

Translated by Lu Yu fei