China to Upgrade Exports by Boosting Low-carbon Sector: Ministry Official

TAIYUAN, Sep. 16 -- China will flex its muscles to boost the low-carbon economy and green industry, in a bid to help upgrade the development mode of exports, said a senior government official Thursday.

Gao Hucheng, Vice Minister of Commerce, said at an energy forum in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, that China has risen to become one of the world's largest exporters, though it is not a strong exporter yet, remaining at the low end of the global value chain.

China's exports leaped in recent decades, mainly dependent upon low labor costs and sales of energy and resources.

Further, China needs to put more efforts into producing high-end products and improving their quality through low-carbon and green technologies to expand the share of green products in exports, he said.

The global financial crisis hurt the world economy and promoted nations to look to green industry for new growth, he said, and adding strategic new industries could be "a new growth point" for China's foreign trade.

China would encourage major products, technologies and services in new energy and energy-saving sectors to tap the global market and support enterprises to invest abroad, Gao said, without giving details.

Further, he said there was "no land boundary" in terms of low-carbon and green technology and expected international cooperation in this field.

China was opposed to protectionist measures in any form, he added.