On 29 August 2018, the East Asia Summit New Energy Forum / China-ASEAN New Energy Forum was held in Kunming, Yunnan province. The event was co-hosted by the Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department. Official of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) was invited to attend the Forum.

Mr. Guan Dinglu, Deputy Director-General of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department, presided over the opening ceremony of the Forum. Mme. Li Songlin, Party Secretary of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department, and Mr. Cai Jianing, Deputy Director-General of Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Science and Technology of China addressed the opening ceremony. More than 200 participants attended the Forum, including representatives from science, technology and innovation authorities, research institutions, academia, enterprises, international organizations and media from China and ASEAN countries, such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as other countries such as Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Australia and the United States.

Mme. Li Songlin warmly welcomed the guests from home and abroad. She said that green energy is of great importance in the practice of Yunnan’s high-quality development. Yunnan has actively tackled key scientific and technological problems in the fields of energy conservation and emission reduction, low-carbon development and climate change, and strengthened the transformation of achievements. In the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, Yunnan has successfully established regional cooperation platforms such as the China-South Asia Technology Transfer Centre, the China-ASEAN Innovation Centre and the China-South Pacific Island States Technology Transfer Centre. Yunnan has carried out extensive exchanges with South and Southeast Asian countries in the field of science and technology and achieved remarkable results in energy cooperation with neighboring countries. In the new era, Yunnan will strive to create a "Green Energy Brand" to promote green energy as the first driving force to support economic growth so as to achieve high-quality economic development in Yunnan.

In his speech, Mr. Cai Jianing said that China’s new energy technology has a mature and stable advantage in the world. The progress of the Belt and Road Initiative and overseas investment facilitation have brought greater potential for cooperation in the new energy field for China, East Asia and ASEAN countries. He stated that the purpose of hosting the New Energy Forum is to work together with ASEAN countries and other countries participating in the East Asia Summit to further promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of new energy, so as to contribute to the sustainable development and lasting prosperity of the region and benefit the people of regional countries.

After the opening ceremony, Dr. Chai Qimin, Director of International Cooperation Department of National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) of NDRC, gave a report on Green Investment in New Energy: Nationally Determined Contribution, Belt and Road Initiative and South-South Cooperation (SSC), highlighting four aspects, namely, New Energy Development in China’s Nationally Determined Contribution, Environmental Co-benefits in New Energy Industries, Energy & Emission Mapping of the Belt and Road, and China-SSC for New Energy Development in the Belt and Road Initiative, laying the keynote for the whole session. Energy experts and scholars from research institutions in Australia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and the United States made keynote speeches on their new energy proposals and research results.

The theme of the Forum was New Energy, New Opportunity and New Prospect. During the two-day Forum, Think Tank Dialogue, Dialogue on New Energy and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Parallel Sessions on "New Ideas, New Technologies, New Products", "Energy Efficiency" and "Approach and Strategy of Cooperation" were carried out. Experts and scholars in the field of new and renewable energy from participating countries had intensive discussion on topics including green energy, sustainable development and new energy cooperation.