Page 8 - MEOG Week 50 2022

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

China, Saudi Arabia to

expand joint energy research

SAUDI ARABIA RIYADH-BASED think-tank, The King Abdul- “Research is fundamentally collaborative,
lah Petroleum Studies and Research Center and I look forward to driving deeper tangi-
(KAPSARC), has signed a memorandum of ble co-operation in research fellowships and
understanding (MoU) with the Economics strengthening the collaboration on innovation
& Technology Research Institute (ETRI), a and knowledge exchange between our two
research institute linked with China’s state- institutions,” said KAPSARC’s vice president for
owned oil firm CNPC, on greater co-operation knowledge and analysis, Fahad Alturki.
in energy research. The priorities will be research on energy pol-
“It’s a pleasure to reaffirm a partnership that icy, climate policy, climate change, the energy
has been strong and will continue to be strong. transition, energy efficiency and productivity,
This is a partnership that is an aspiration for the hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS),
developing world as we enter a post-COVID and energy issues under the Belt and Road Ini-
and post-Paris Climate Agreement era,” KAP- tiative (BRI).
SARC president Fahad Alajlan commented. “As important energy producers and consum-
“We see a lot of common interest and alignment ers in the world, China and Saudi Arabia play an
between China’s and Saudi Arabia’s position important role in maintaining the stability of the
when it comes to energy and climate. We both international energy market, addressing climate
understand and reiterate the idea of common change and promoting the realisation of energy
but differentiated responsibility when it comes green transformation goals,” ETRI president Yu
to climate change.” Guo commented.
The two institutions will bolster their research The signing of the MoU comes ahead of an
under the agreement, including in the spheres of inaugural Chinese-Saudi summit planned to
energy, economics, technology, policy and envi- take place this month.
ronmental concerns. The two sides will hold “Ahead of President Xi Jinping’s return visit to
joint workshops, their experts will exchange Saudi Arabia later this week, this MoU will rein-
ideas, and they will form international co-oper- vigorate collaboration between these two advi-
ation and knowledge exchange platforms, and sory think-tanks at a critical time for the world
undertake peer reviews of research and policy of energy,” said KAPSARC’s director of strategic
papers. partnerships, Brian Efird.™

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