HOUSTON - A senior leader of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) on Thursday called for international cooperation to improve the reliability and efficiency of the power grid.

At the annual energy conference CERAWeek organized by business company IHS Markit in Houston, Texas, SGCC's Executive Vice-President Wang Min said that one way of making a breakthrough is to "encourage international cooperation or creative teamwork," so that researchers can share ideas and exchange information.

As a super-large State-owned enterprise, the SGCC is responsible for constructing and operating power grids with a mission to provide a safer, cleaner, and more economical and sustainable power supply, which is crucial to China's energy security and economic lifeline.

Wang added that ABB, a multinational corporation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, and a pioneering technology leader in electrification products and power grids, is a long-term partner of the Chinese company. Both of them have made a lot of efforts in technical cooperation.

Claudio Facchin, head of the Power Grids division at ABB, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the CERAWeek that the market is big in China and it demands innovation.

"The technology that we have been developing in China, together with State Grid (Corporation of China), is now being deployed in other countries," Facchin said.

ABB has been involved in the development of China's power grid for many years. "Every three years or so, the power grid advances to a new level in China," he said, adding that the development of China's power grid is being used as a launching point for other nations.

CERAWeek, which kicked off Monday in Houston, is an energy meeting featuring prominent speakers from the energy, technology and financial sectors. This year's meeting has attracted over 3,000 guests from over 50 countries and regions.