Executive Summary

This report investigates China’s proposal for a Global Energy Interconnection (GEI), an eighteen-line ultra-high voltage (UHV) network linking over 80 countries with renewable energy and smart-grid infrastructure.

The project represents a major geopolitical development with profound implications for the global energy governance. The initiative, although rooted in the language of sustainability and economic cooperation, extends Beijing’s strategic influence across Asia and Africa, challenging the prevailing Western-led energy and political order.

While the proposal highlights China’s commitment to renewable energy, evidenced by its wind and solar capacity, now surpassing thermal power for the first time, it also raises concerns over political dependency, infrastructure sovereignty, and global technological alignment.

United States’ recalibration in foreign policy and global leadership under President Donald Trump could further facilitate China’s energy diplomacy, allowing the GEI narrative to acquire traction across the Global South.

However, despite its promise, the GEI faces complex geopolitical resistance, substantial technical challenges, and uncertain international consensus.

Key Takeaways

• China’s Global Energy Interconnection initiative strengthens its geopolitical presence in the Global South by combining sustainable development with strategic infrastructure outreach.
• The project presents significant strategic concerns for Western nations, particularly regarding technological dependence, energy sovereignty, and global standards.
• US changing foreign policy under Donald Trump weakened Western influence in global energy diplomacy, allowing Beijing to seize a narrative advantage.

Background Information

China first introduced the Global Energy Interconnection concept in 2015 under the leadership of Liu Zhenya, former chairman of the State Grid Corporation of China. Designed to enable the transmission of clean energy, particularly wind, solar, and hydropower, over vast distances, the GEI would rely on a global network of UHV lines capable of transporting electricity efficiently across borders and continents. The project would incorporate advanced smart-grid technologies and data systems to regulate the supply, demand, and real-time flow of electricity.

Framed as a response to climate change and a pathway to sustainable development, the GEI aligns with the broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), integrating energy diplomacy into China’s long-term strategic vision. Beijing claims the network could reduce global carbon emissions, foster energy security, and enable equitable energy access, particularly in developing regions.

The Chinese government recently underscored its domestic progress by declaring that wind and solar energy capacity has, for the first time, exceeded its thermal power capacity. This symbolic milestone strengthens Beijing’s moral positioning in the global energy debate.

Geopolitical Scenario

China’s energy outreach under the GEI framework represents far more than a climate initiative. Beijing uses it as a tool for geopolitical leverage, particularly in regions with limited or politically restricted Western infrastructure investment. Across Asia and Africa, the People’s Republic of China has offered financial support, engineering expertise, and political assurances in the name of green development. For many of these countries, the prospect of stable, low-cost energy via advanced transmission lines holds real appeal.

In Asia, where energy demand is surging, China’s leadership in UHV technology places it in a commanding position. Beijing has already implemented successful domestic projects transmitting electricity from remote western provinces to urban coastal centres. In Central and Southeast Asia, China proposes to extend this model transnationally, fostering dependency on Chinese equipment, protocols, and political goodwill. This dynamic echoes traditional patterns of asymmetrical interdependence: the infrastructure remains local, but the control mechanisms, whether technical, financial, or diplomatic, are largely foreign.

In Africa, China’s offer of electrification through renewable-focused partnerships has tapped into long-standing developmental needs. Countries across East and Sub-Saharan Africa have welcomed GEI-related investments, often backed by concessional loans and construction packages delivered by Chinese firms. Yet concerns persist regarding the durability of such deals and the geopolitical strings attached. The alignment of power grids across borders introduces governance dilemmas, particularly in fragile states or regions with unresolved territorial disputes.

South America presents a distinct case. With its wealth of natural resources and relatively advanced energy infrastructure, the continent has engaged China more cautiously. However, countries like Brazil and Argentina have expressed interest in GEI feasibility studies and bilateral energy cooperation. These steps, though preliminary, suggest that China’s influence may expand in the region unless counterbalanced by stronger Western engagement.

The United States and its allies have viewed the Global Energy Interconnection with scepticism, particularly because of fears of standard-setting dominance and cyber vulnerabilities. While the West supports a decentralised, market-driven approach to energy transition, China’s vision reflects a centralised, state-led model. Washington’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and reduction in overseas development financing diminished its appeal as a reliable energy partner, leaving room for Beijing’s narrative to flourish.

Yet the GEI faces substantial hurdles. The technological challenge of harmonising disparate grid systems remains immense. Political instability in various host regions, coupled with the sensitive issue of energy sovereignty, could delay or derail key corridors. Moreover, widespread adoption would require unprecedented levels of international coordination and trust—resources currently in short supply amid growing geopolitical polarisation.

Despite these challenges, the Global Energy Interconnection has positive properties. It could accelerate the global transition to renewable energy by enabling surplus clean power to reach underserved areas. It promotes interconnectivity to reduce fossil fuel dependency and increase energy efficiency. If genuinely multilateral in governance and transparent in operations, it might even serve as a model for cooperative climate action. However, achieving that ideal would require China to relinquish some control and permit robust participation from other global actors, an outcome that appears unlikely in the current strategic climate.

Conclusion

The Global Energy Interconnection embodies both the potential and the perils of China’s rise as a technological and geopolitical power. Its ambition to reshape global energy flows and establish a renewable-driven framework is bold, visionary, and timely. Coupled with Made in China 2025 in the manufacturing sector, this strategy might provide Beijing with significant geopolitical leverages capable of countering the United States.

However, Beijing’s underlying logic of centralized influence and strategic infrastructure dictates its broader foreign policy objectives. Western states must contend with the reality that the energy transition, once a technical and environmental issue, now sits at the heart of geopolitical rivalry. A coordinated response, grounded in investment, innovation, and diplomacy, remains necessary if the balance of energy power is to remain multipolar and truly sustainable.

Author: Matteo Meloni

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