Shanghai’s solar carnival belies fight for survival - China’s flagship clean energy industry in dismal state

Growth push: Workers check solar panels at a photovoltaic power station built in a fishpond in Jiangsu province. The industry is one of the Chinese government’s new productive forces that it hopes will allow the economy to pivot from traditional sectors. — AFP

SHANGHAI: Visitors to the world’s biggest showcase of solar power could be forgiven for not realising just how dismal conditions are in China’s flagship clean energy industry.

Hundreds of thousands of people descended on Shanghai’s largest convention centre last week for the city’s annual solar gathering, where a carnival mood prevailed.