Chinese top political advisor Jia Qinglin on Monday encouraged private companies to go "green" by developing new energy and energy-saving technologies.

In a one-day inspection tour to Langfang city of central China's Hebei Province, Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), visited the XinAo Group, a local private company specialized in research and development of renewable energy and new energy.

When talking with the staff of the company, Jia said new energy and energy-saving industries would not only serve as an effective stimulus for the country's economic recovery, but were also of great potential and importance to future development.

"Developing a green economy has been widely recognized by the world. Private companies can play an important role in the development of new energy and the environment-friendly and energy-saving industries," Jia said.

He noted that China's private companies were faced with both challenges and opportunities amid the current global financial crisis, and urged them to boost research, development and trade of energy-saving products and technologies.

"In this way, the private business can create new market demand and more job opportunities," he said.

He also urged local governments and relevant trade organizations to fully recognize the important role private business played in the national economy, and give favorable policies to help them prosper.

The private companies, on the other hand, should make use of the opportunities at hand, and increase their exports and improve their competitiveness in the international market, he said.