The Chinese Energy Agency has announced that it intends to invest 2.5 trillion yuan (£292 billion) in renewable energy by 2020.

According to the agency, this will lead to the creation of more than 13 million jobs in the sector.

It said: “Installed renewable-power capacity — including wind, hydro, solar and nuclear power — will contribute to about half of new electricity generation by 2020.”

Last month, the National Development and Reform Commission — China’s economic planning group — said in its own five-year plan that “solar power capacity will be increased by five times”.

That is equivalent to about 1,000 major solar-power plants, according to experts’ estimates. China became the world’s top solar-power generator in 2016.