On January 27-28, the Workshop on the Future of Energy Storage Technology and Policy was held in London jointly by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the British Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), the British Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) and the British Energy Research Centre (ERC). Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming and Professor Brian Collins, Chief Scientific Advisor to the British Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Transport, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. The Workshop was presided over by Professor Richard A Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, and was also attended by Professor Li Jinghai, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor David Mackay, Chief Scienctific Advisor to the British Department of Energy and Climate Change and over 50 other Chinese and British experts from various institutions, including the relevant institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the British Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the British National Grid, the British Energy Technologies Institute and the Imperial College.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Liu briefed the participants on the basic principles for energy development in China set forth in the "12th Five-Year Plan" and the country's 2020 target for energy development. As he put it, China is in the special historic period of industrialisation and modernisation, but can no longer afford to follow the traditional ways of Western industrialisation. The future growth of China's energy development must have new ideas and new breakthrough. The UK is a global leader in the energy sector, in particular the scientific knowledge, policy making and R&D of new energy technology, with a wealth of success stories and valuable experience. It would be very useful and mutual beneficial for China and the UK to develop closer cooperation and exchanges of ideas on energy, particularly the new energy industries. The China-UK cooperation mechanism in the energy sector is working well and achieving remarkable results. The successful visit of the Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang to Britain early this year has greatly promoted the cooperation of the two countries in new energy technology and low-carbon sector.

Professor Collins, Chief Science Advisor to the British Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Department for Transport, highly commended the contribution of the Chinese Government on to the promotion of UK-China cooperation in the energy sector and hoped that the workshop would further strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the sector.

The Workshop mainly discussed the national energy policies of the UK and China, future energy needs and challenges, the current development of energy storage technologies and new energy technologies such as electric vehicles and smart city networks and explored the measures adopted by the two countries in response to energy challenges and the possible mode of future cooperation. As the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the highest academic institution in science and technology in China and the British Royal Academy of Engineering is the highest institute of learning in engineering in Britain, the success of the Workshop will play a positive role in further promoting the technological cooperation between China and the UK in the energy sector.

After the Workshop, Vice President Li Jinghai talked with Professor Richard A Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, on further strengthening cooperation between the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering. The two sides agreed to convene the second session of the Workshop on the Future of Energy Storage Technology and Policy in Beijing this May, and decided to jointly draft a China-UK energy report after the Workshop for the reference of the relevant government agencies and research institutions. They also consider holding regular workshops in the fields of common interests such as water resources.