Seemingly unnoticed by the rest of the world are the extraordinary strides China has made to create and use various forms of alternative energy, particularly clean sources like hydropower, solar and nuclear power.

Constantly we read of pollution caused by China's use of coal for power, but the fact is that a considerable portion of the energy China uses every day comes not from fossil fuels but these three alternative sources.

China is the world's largest producer of hydroelectricity, which supplies at least 17 percent of the country's domestic power demands, or more than 720 terawatts.