While regions across the globe have been struck by record heat waves, leading to spikes in electricity prices, power outages and a scramble for air conditioners, Chinese households have long taken air conditioning for granted. On social networking sites abroad, the humorous refrain — "come to China for a summer retreat" — hints at a deeper truth. Behind the air-conditioned relief lies a power network built from nothing, a manufacturing sector that has risen from import dependence to global preeminence, and a development philosophy that leaves no one behind.

In 1949, China generated 1/68 of the power that the United States did. Eighty percent of Chinese citizens lived without electricity; all power-generating equipment was imported. However, by May 2026, installed capacity had reached 4.01 billion kilowatts — the world's largest, surpassing the combined total of the US, Europe, India, Japan and Russia. Scale aside, China has leaped technologically. In 2010, the world's first plus-minus 800 kV ultrahigh-voltage direct current line — Yunguang — went live. Until then, plus-minus 500 kV was the ceiling; plus-minus 800 kV had no precedent, and every component was homegrown. Today, China commands all six core DC transmission technologies. In 2020, Kunliulong, the world's first plus-minus 800 kV multiterminal flexible DC project, set 19 world records.

Most crucially, power now reaches every citizen in China. In December 2015, when the last two remaining villages were switched on, China became the first developing country to achieve universal access to electricity. Rural grids are now highly reliable; blackouts in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have been cut to minutes. Electricity access has evolved from universal availability to high-quality, reliable service — closing the urban-rural divide and lighting remote mountains.

In 1949, China heavily relied on imports of industrial products. Today, it is the only country with all industrial categories in the UN classification. Strong manufacturing capacity has made widespread access to air conditioning a reality for Chinese households, while related products also benefit the rest of the world. Take the recent heat wave as an example. Domestic air conditioner manufacturers have seen a surge in overseas orders. To meet the increased electricity demand, many local power supply bureaus across China upgraded their power grids ahead of schedule. In Guangzhou, the "Suicarbon cloud" platform, or Guangzhou carbon peak and neutrality monitoring and management platform, was used to enable hourly traceability of green electricity and accurately calculate the carbon footprint of products.

The International Energy Agency estimates that achieving carbon neutrality requires a major expansion of solar, wind and EV capacity. Chinese products are helping fill these gaps at affordable prices, while also keeping global inflation in check. Over the past decade, solar panel prices have dropped by more than 80 percent, with Chinese manufacturing playing a key role. German business newspaper Handelsblatt acknowledged: "Without Chinese products over the past two decades, European inflation would be much higher, and living costs for low-income families would rise sharply."

China contributes about 30 percent to global growth, acting as a key stabilizer and engine. Green tech, the digital economy and other emerging sectors are new strengths of Chinese manufacturing. Meanwhile, China promotes industrial cooperation and shares development dividends with the world.

Three factors drive this success: planning, openness and reform. First, long-term planning. The power sector has prioritized development from the start — from the 1980 Hongshui River project to the west-to-east power transmission corridors, and now the Xizang-Guangdong flexible DC line, set for 2029 with capacity equal to roughly 15 percent of the United Kingdom's 2024 generation.

Second, openness. China's most competitive industries — new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, batteries — are also its most open.

Third, reform. After accession to the World Trade Organization, China overhauled over 2,300 central and 190,000 local laws and regulations to align with global rules. Today, streamlined approvals and stronger IP protection attract global resources. Together, these three forces have unleashed market vitality.

Foreign netizens joking about "summering in China" are not merely praising the air conditioning. They are applauding a nation that has built the world's largest power grid from scratch, wired every remote hamlet, and now exports its green know-how. Shared prosperity is built through cooperation, not isolation.