Chinese solar companies look for new opportunities abroad

Another problem facing Chinese exporters are trade conflicts. Solar exporters in particular have been pretty hard hit and its about to get worse. Earlier in the day, Europe's trade chief pushed through provisional duties of 47-percent on Chinese solar panel makers.

China produces the largest number of solar panels in the world. More than 90 percent of the photovoltaic products made in China are for export. But now the Chinese industry's overseas growth potential is shifting away from Europe, toward markets such as Japan and South Africa.

"If the punitive duties come into place, it will be a fatal blow to many companies that haven't explored alternative markets. For us, Jinko plans to reduce its European market from 70 percent three years ago to 20 percent this year and invest more outside the EU," president of JinkoSolar Li Xiande said.

In the meantime, the EU is expected to issue a preliminary anti-dumping ruling in early June and an anti-subsidy ruling in August. It will decide whether the 27 billion US dollars-worth of panels exported from China to the EU in 2011 were sold below their manufacturing cost. The ruling could affect more than 400,000 Chinese jobs. It's the second time China's solar industry has been hit abroad. In 2011, the US imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese companies manufacturing solar panels and cells, complaining that they enjoyed unfair government subsidies.

"We've cooperated with the EU's investigation but there's nothing more we can do right now. We hope the government will step in and help resolve the issue," Li Xiande said.

Li believes the duties will drive solar panel market prices up. That will have a ripple effect on other supporting industries and jobs in EU, as stakeholders start turning away from solar to look for less expensive investments.