DAVOS,Switzerland,Jan.18(Xinhua)--TheheadoftheInternationalEnergyAgency(IEA)saidonWednesdaythatheexpectedChina"seconomytoperformbetterthisyearcoupledwithariseindemandforoilandgas.HealsohighlightedtheleadingroleChinaplaysingreentechnologies.

"Chinatodayisthebiggestdriverofcleanenergytechnologies,"IEAchiefFatihBiroltoldXinhuaattheongoingWorldEconomicForum(WEF)inDavos,addingthatChinaistheworld"snumberoneinsolar,wind,electriccarsandnewnuclearfacilities.

"Thisisverygood,butatthesametimeChinahastofindwaystodealwithcoalemissions.IverymuchhopethatChinawillreachapeakofemissionsbefore2030andwillreachitstargets,"hesaid.

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ChinaaimstohaveitsCO2emissionspeakbefore2030andachievecarbonneutralitybefore2060.

Askedabouthisoutlookforenergyprices,hesaidthat2023willbea"verydifficultyearfortheenergymarkets"becausetherearestilluncertaintiessuchastheRussianenergyexportsituationandtheglobaldemand.

Birolsaidthatin2022,demandforoilandgasinChinadeclinedforthefirsttimein40years.

"Ifitrebounds,andIbelieveitwillreboundwiththeeconomygrowinginChina,itwillhaveasignificantimpactonthemarketsbecauseChinaisthenumberoneoilandnumberoneLNG(liquefiednaturalgas)importerintheworld,"hesaid.

Soaringglobalpricesacrossanumberofenergysources,includingoil,naturalgasandcoal,havehammeredconsumersastheyalreadyhadtodealwithrisinginflationarypressuresaroundtheworld.

TheInternationalMonetaryFund(IMF)projectedglobaleconomicgrowthtoslowdownfrom3.2percentto2.7percentthisyearinitsreportlastNovember,whileitexpectedtheChineseeconomytoexpandby4.4percentin2023.

InDecember,theIEAsaidglobalcoaldemandwouldincreasemarginallythisyearandurgedstrongerglobaleffortstoacceleratethetransitiontocleanenergy.

Globalcoalusewassettoriseby1.2percentin2022andsurpassed8billiontonnes,accordingtotheIEA"sannualmarketreportonthesector.