From 21 to 22 August 2019, co-hosted by Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Science and Technology of China, and Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the East Asia Summit New Energy Forum was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province. Representative of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) was invited to attend the Forum.

Mr. Dong Baotong, Director-General of Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and Mr. Ruan Xiangping, First Counsel of Ministry of Science and Technology of China attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. More than 200 representatives from energy sectors, scientific research institutions and universities of ASEAN countries including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as Australia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and the United States, representatives of science and technology departments, academies and enterprises from different provinces in China, and those of international organisations and the media attended the forum.

Mr. Dong Baotong briefed on the current situation of green energy development in Yunnan Province. He said that Yunnan Province has actively carried out scientific research in energy conservation, emission reduction, low carbon development and climate resilience, and strengthened the application of scientific research achievements. Yunnan Province has successfully built 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. In the new era, Yunnan Province will strive to create a "Green Energy Brand" to lend fresh impetus to green and high-quality development by strengthening infrastructure construction, promoting scientific and technological innovation cooperation and extending the green industry chain.

Mr. Ruan Xiangping said that in the context of global effort to cope with climate change, it is in the interests of all parties participating in the East Asia Summit to carry out innovation cooperation in new energy , a promising industry that enjoys broad prospects. The Chinese government regards the development of new and renewable energy as a long-term development strategy. China is willing to work with all East Asian countries to seize the opportunity offered by the Belt and Road Initiative, focus on the intra-regional scientific and technological cooperation by upgrading the level of cooperation in new energy sector , sharing the achievements of scientific innovation, and further promoting the application of scientific achievements, so as to jointly promote the integrated and sustainable development of innovation in the region.

After the opening ceremony, energy experts and scholars from China, Nepal, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States made keynote speeches on their latest research achievements and practices.

The theme of the Forum was “Empower Innovation for Development”. During the two-day forum, dialogues on “Driving Force of Think Tank” and “Potential and Cooperation”, parallel sessions on “New Technologies and Products” and “Policy Context and Commercialisation” were carried out between experts and scholars from participating countries , who discussed topics on innovation-driven and sustainable development and new energy cooperation in depth.