Research on sustainable development with regard to the economic system and the energy system in Mainland China

In the system of sustainable development, the energy is the base, the economy is the core, and it is the key to ensuring the harmonious development between the energy system and the economic system. In this paper, using the principal component analysis method, the complex development index and the harmonious development index of the energy system and the economic system are formulated based on the actual datum in 1980–2000 of Mainland China. This is followed by an analysis of the relation between economic development and energy supply during the past 20 years in Mainland China. And then, an analysis of the economic development and the energy supply in Mainland China in the future is given. Finally, some advices on sustainable development with regard to the energy system and the economic system have been brought forward based on the research results.