China and Europe should expand cooperation in a wide range of fields, including new energy and green industry, as this will create new growth engines and bring about win-win outcomes, participants attending a forum said on Tuesday.

Despite a rise in protectionism and mounting uncertainties worldwide, China and Europe should continue to promote bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation in various fields, creating a rising number of opportunities for companies, said Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Li was speaking at the China-Europe Cooperation Partnership Dialogue on Shaping New Growth Drivers for Green Development held in Beijing on Tuesday.

European companies, Li said, stay ahead of technologies such as wind power, hydrogen power, comprehensive energy solutions, decarbonization in petrochemicals, energy efficiency in buildings as well as carbon capture, utilization and storage.

"China and Europe are highly complementary in fields including building a new energy system and promoting low-carbon and zero-carbon technologies, and the prospect for cooperation is promising," he said.

"China welcomes European enterprises to continue tapping into the Chinese market and actively participate in China's green and low-carbon development, collaboratively constructing a clean and beautiful world and injecting more impetus into global economic recovery and growth."

Looking ahead, Li said China is committed to expanding high-standard opening-up, and efforts will be made to create a top-notch business environment for foreign enterprises.

China has made great strides in green and low-carbon development. The country's newly added installed capacity of renewable energy hit 172 million kilowatts in the first nine months of the year, a 93 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the National Energy Administration.

"China is the one country that perhaps had made the most significant contributions and commitment to green development and energy transition … In the past years, China has already demonstrated remarkable progress in developing green finance and expanding its production capacity for renewable energy," said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

Despite geopolitical tensions and uncertainties, he said cooperation between Europe and China remains essential.

According to Eskelund, European companies have developed and deployed effective decarbonization technologies and management practices in their home markets, and expressed a strong desire to work closely with China. This, he added, presents a strong argument for deepening industrial cooperation between both sides.

German conglomerate Siemens said it is optimistic about the prospects of China's green industry, noting its sustained commitment to cooperation between China and Europe.

Xiao Song, global executive vice-president of Siemens, said Europe possesses rich experience and technological resources in green transition, while China has enormous market potential in the scale of green industries.

"Collaboration in the green sector will not only accelerate technological innovation and widespread application but also become a crucial force in upholding economic multilateralism and free trade," Xiao added.

ouyangshijia@chinadaily.com.cn