Fact-Checkers Debunk Viral Misinformation: China Leads World in Wind Energy, Data Shows
President Trump's claim at Davos that he 'cannot find any wind farms in China' draws fact-checks from multiple outlets. China operates nearly half the world's wind capacity and hosts the planet's largest wind farm.
Fact-checkers have debunked viral claims by US President Donald Trump that China lacks wind farms, with data showing China operates nearly half the world's installed wind power capacity and hosts the largest wind farm on the planet.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, Trump told delegates that China "makes almost all of the windmills, yet I have not been able to find any wind farms in China." He called wind energy supporters "stupid people" and claimed China manufactures wind turbines but "doesn't use them."
The claim quickly went viral, prompting fact-checks from multiple news organisations and sparking widespread mockery on social media.
The Facts
According to the Global Wind Energy Council's 2025 report, China's wind installations in 2024 comprised 70 percent of global total production. The country's cumulative wind capacity exceeded 520 gigawatts by the end of 2025, accounting for nearly 50 percent of total global wind power capacity.
China operates approximately 6,619 wind farms, including the world's largest, the Gansu Wind Farm in western China. This facility, visible from space, features more than 7,000 turbines and is scheduled to reach a final capacity of 20 gigawatts, enough to power approximately 15 million homes.
CNN's Daniel Dale called Trump's claim "an up-is-down reversal of reality," while PolitiFact rated it "Pants on Fire," their worst possible rating. China has about 44 percent of the world's wind farm capacity, nearly three times what the United States has today.
Social Media Reacts
The claim drew sharp responses on social media. "He lies and lies and lies," wrote one user from Switzerland. Another pointed out that a simple internet search would reveal China's extensive wind infrastructure.
Some commenters defended Trump's statement by arguing he said he personally could not "find" wind farms, not that they do not exist. Others tried to downplay China's wind capacity by noting that wind accounts for only about 8 percent of China's electricity generation.
This misses the point. China's wind generation in 2024 equaled 40 percent of global wind generation. The country leads the world with 180 gigawatts of solar and 159 gigawatts of wind projects under construction, according to the Global Energy Monitor, nearly twice the rest of the world combined.
The EU's Fact-Based Approach
While the United States debates whether wind farms exist, the European Union continues to lead on climate policy through action rather than rhetoric.
Wind and solar generated more EU electricity than fossil fuels for the first time in 2025, according to Euronews. Wind and solar accounted for a record 30 percent of EU electricity, overtaking fossil fuels by one percentage point.
The EU's wind capacity grew 37 percent from 169 gigawatts in 2019 to 231 gigawatts in 2024. The European Commission projects the bloc will install a record 89 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity in 2025, including 19 gigawatts of wind power.
This progress comes through the European Green Deal and REPowerEU policy package, which set clear targets and streamlined permitting for renewable energy projects.
Why Facts Matter
Trump's false claim fits a pattern. During the same Davos speech, he made multiple disputed assertions about Greenland, NATO, and other topics, according to Time magazine's fact-check.
The claim also reflects Trump's long-standing opposition to wind energy. He has previously called wind turbines "monsters" and suggested they cause cancer, claims that have no scientific basis.
For European policymakers, the episode underscores the importance of grounding climate policy in data. The EU's approach to energy transition relies on measurable targets, transparent reporting, and international cooperation through bodies like the IEA.
When major figures spread misinformation about basic facts, such as whether a country has wind farms, it undermines the factual basis needed for informed policy debate.
What the Data Shows
The International Energy Agency projects that China will contribute nearly 60 percent of global renewable energy capacity by 2030. China achieved its 2030 wind and solar capacity target in 2024, six years ahead of schedule.
In 2024, China's clean energy investment exceeded 625 billion dollars, almost doubling since 2015. The country has achieved what analysts call "relative decoupling," with consumption-based emissions rising 24 percent while GDP grew over 50 percent between 2015 and 2023.
These numbers are publicly available and verifiable. Whether one supports or opposes wind energy, the existence of China's wind farms is not a matter of opinion.
January 23, 2026