WASHINGTON, DC – Acting Deputy Secretary of Energy Jeffrey Kupfer today concluded participation in two days of productive meetings between senior U.S. and Chinese government officials as part of the fourth annual Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED IV) held in Annapolis, MD on Tuesday, June 17 and Wednesday, June 18.  Following the meetings, the U.S. and China announced progress in several key areas, including the official launch of the U.S.-China Ten Year Framework, which serves as a guide for extensive bilateral cooperation to address the shared challenges of environmental sustainability, climate change and energy security.

“The Strategic Economic Dialogue provided a valuable opportunity to engage with the Chinese on how our two nations can work together to address two of the most fundamental challenges we all face: rapidly growing global demand for energy and global climate change,” Acting Deputy Secretary Kupfer said. “Meeting the challenges of energy demand and climate change will require responsible and sustained action from both countries.  We need to expand and diversify our energy alternatives and move to sources and methods of production and delivery – including of hydrocarbons – that are more efficient, cleaner, sustainable, and secure.  And that is why the work being done on the Ten Year Framework is so critical.”

On Tuesday, Acting Deputy Secretary Kupfer delivered remarks at a session on energy and environment, where he highlighted U.S.-China cooperation in developing solutions to address shared energy challenges.  With global electricity demand expected to double over the next 25 years, Acting Deputy Secretary Kupfer stressed the immediate need to diversify our energy resources to include the use of clean and renewable resources and develop technologies and tools to enhance and to ensure we are well-equipped to meet our future electricity needs.  He also highlighted areas for potential collaboration in our transportation sectors, through innovative fuel efforts and vehicle technologies—such as biofuels and batteries—that will make our cars more efficient and environmentally friendly.

On Wednesday, the U.S. and China agreed to a “Framework Document,” detailing the scope of cooperation on two important energy action plans.  The first action plan, on Clean, Efficient, and Secure Electricity Production and Transmission will analyze the sources of our energy, the systems we have in place to deliver energy, and how the consumers use that energy.  The second action plan, on Clean and Efficient Transportation, will focus on three broad areas: clean and efficient vehicle technologies; design and modality of transportation systems; and improvement and utilization of existing transportation infrastructure.

The two nations also announced the initial selection of five priority areas, along with task forces, for cooperation in the areas of: 1) clean, efficient and secure electricity production and transmission; 2) clean air; 3) clean water; 4) clean and efficient transportation; and 5) conservation of forest and wetland ecosystems.

President George W. Bush and President Hu Jintao established the SED in 2006 as a Cabinet-level forum to enhance U.S.-China cooperation on strategic economic issues of shared concern.  For more information, visit the Strategic Economic Dialogue website.

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Bethany Shively, (202) 586-4940