"China has ‘no other choice’ but to rely on coal power for now, official says"

So be it. Carry on.

—imperious (and vaguely French looking) climate envoy John Kerry

Anyone else getting the feeling that the signatories to the Paris Accords are getting played?

From CNBC, April 29:

• President Xi Jinping announced in September the country’s carbon emissions would begin to decline by 2030, and reach carbon neutrality by 2060 — in four decades.
• In the meantime, policymakers are making clear that economic growth remains a top priority — and that growth depends largely on coal power.
• “Because renewable energy (sources such as) wind and solar power are intermittent and unstable, we must rely on a stable power source,” said Su Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Development and Reform Commission. “We have no other choice. For a period of time, we may need to use coal power as a point of flexible adjustment.”

China has ambitious goals for cutting its carbon emissions, but it won’t be abandoning coal power anytime soon as it keeps its eye firmly on economic targets.

President Xi Jinping said in September that the country’s carbon emissions would begin to decline by 2030, and he said the country will reach carbon neutrality by 2060 — in four decades.

In the meantime, policymakers are making clear that economic growth remains a top priority — and that growth depends largely on coal power. Beijing has a GDP target of 6% this year, a level which analysts say would allow authorities to tackle long-term problems such as the country’s high debt levels.

Many developing countries don’t even have electricity. 

In this situation, if you don’t use coal, what will you use?

—Li Gao

China ecology ministry, on Chinese funding of coal power outside China

“China’s energy structure is dominated by coal power. This is an objective reality,” said Su Wei, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission. CNBC translated his Mandarin-language comments, which he made late last week following Xi’s separate remarks at a U.S.-led global leaders climate summit.

“Because renewable energy (sources such as) wind and solar power are intermittent and unstable, we must rely on a stable power source,” Su said. “We have no other choice. For a period of time, we may need to use coal power as a point of flexible adjustment.”....

....MUCH MORE

They are not kidding around.. In the first quarter of 2021 China continued to develop thermal electricity capacity at the rate of 1000 megawatts every nine days, a slight increase over the pace for the entire year 2020:

April 29, 2021
China's Electricity Derived From Thermal (coal, oil, etc) Up 21.1% Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020

One of our sources said the growth in thermal plant capacity* (not production) in 2020 was 38.4 gigawatts. This is the equivalent of adding a large (1,000 megawatt) coal plant every nine days. Every nine days.
Continuing that trend, coal plant capacity additions just in the first quarter of 2021 were 10,600 megawatts....

See also March 18's "China Energy Stats and Policy" 

*"China's new coal power plant capacity in 2020 more than three times rest of world's" 

China Does Not Plan To Stop Burning Coal 

"China generated 53% of the world’s total coal-fired power in 2020" 

In the March 16 post "China Does Not Plan To Stop Burning Coal" there are some views of the $30 billion coal-hauling railroad from Mongolia. I repeat, China is not playing nice.