Or he cares about both, but obviously prioritizes domestic energy security. Masses complained about air quality, hence move to renewables. Otherwise no reason to build out new plants that are more efficient / less poluting if old dirty one's suffices for occasional peaking. Or try to shift to renewables so fast that there were power shortages a couple summers ago due to adverse climate effects on generation . Or stop building 100s of billiions of dollars worth coal plants abroad as part of BRI.

IMO Xi/PRC is a little bit TOO magnanimous about enviroment / eliminating carbon. While US continues to increase (and now lead) in oil/lng exports, PRC is leaving good money on the table not building 1000s of coal plants abroad or exporting their centuries of thermal coal stock. That's the kind of irrational behaviour you expect from someone that cares about enviroment.

From what I’ve seen, they’ve extended their environmentalism to beyond carbon into the anti pollution in other forms. I agree regarding power cost though. That’s a huge missed opportunity in the west.