Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man, endorsed China's advancement in renewable energy and electric vehicles on Monday, days after the US pointed out that China's energy policy may delay the arrival of net-zero global emissions.
"Few seem to realise that China is leading the world in renewable energy generation and electric vehicles. Whatever you may think of China, this is simply a fact," he wrote on China's Twitter-like Weibo social-media platform on Monday.
The statement has come amid ongoing trade and technology competition between the US and China.
Last Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised China's policy, noting it is not possible to reach a net-zero emission plan by 2035 if China does not see an emissions peak before 2030.
"Climate is not about ideology. It's about maths. There's simply no way to solve climate change without China's leadership, the country that produces 28 percent of global emissions," Blinken said.
The US unveiled the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework on 23 May, seeking to develop a "first-of-its-kind supply chain agreement" that better anticipates, predicts, and, importantly, prevents disruptions in supply chains.
Experts have concerns that pressuring Western firms to de-locate their organisations from China may increase equipment costs like batteries and smart grids. Developing countries are major buyers of Chinese equipment that help them in decarbonisation.
Data released by the China Passenger Car Association suggests that over three million vehicles running on electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cells were sold in China last year, making it the world's largest market for climate-friendly automobiles.
Earlier this month, Musk had praised China's "super talented, hardworking people" for restarting Tesla's massive Shanghai "Giga-factory," which was closed down due to the COVID-19 spread.