China's state planner head held a symposium on Tuesday with executives from seven state-owned enterprises (SOEs), focusing national priorities including SOE reform and energy security.
Zheng Shanjie, the head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said SOEs should promote green and low-carbon development, improve the clean and efficient use of coal, drive industries' transition to low-carbon models and effectively ensure energy security.
The meeting was attended by executives from SOEs including COSCO Shipping, China Coal Technology & Engineering Group, Air China Cargo SZSE:001391 and China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical, a subsidiary of China Shenhua SSE:601088.
This marks a rare dedicated symposium focused solely on state-owned enterprises, unlike previous meetings Zheng held that primarily targeted private companies.
China has called for faster development of a new energy system to safeguard energy security, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East heighten supply concerns.
At Tuesday's meeting, Zheng also called for optimising the state-owned economy's structure and enhancing SOEs' capabilities in innovation, industry control, and security support function.
Other topics including the construction of a unified national market were also discussed, according to a statement from the NDRC.