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Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of obligations due all related parties. For classified balance sheets, represents the current portion of such liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

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RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS (Details) ¥ in Thousands		1 Months Ended							2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 CNY (¥)	Oct. 31, 2014 CNY (¥)	Jan. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($)	May. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 CNY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 CNY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 CNY (¥)	Mar. 31, 2012
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Amount due from related party																$ 104,579,000	$ 4,217,000
Ownership Percentage																				5.00%
Amount due to related party																90,002,000	17,592,000
Revenue from sale of solar products												$ 104,352,000		$ 2,569,000	$ 16,390,000
Gaochuangte
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Trade receivable from affiliate																$ 1,619,000	1,499,000
Ownership Percentage	40.00%										40.00%					40.00%
Amount due to related party																$ 25,827,000	17,510,000
Revenue from sale of solar products											¥ 39,922	6,508,000	¥ 15,740	2,568,000
Amount paid for EPC services											¥ 175,272	28,159,000	¥ 33,884	5,515,000
Dr. Shawn Qu
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Amount due to related party																77,000	82,000
Loan from related party			$ 25,000,000			$ 13,000,000	$ 13,000,000	$ 13,000,000		$ 35,000,000
Rate of interest (as a percent)			4.27%			4.27%	4.27%	4.27%		4.25%
Repayment of interest amount of loan from related party				$ 242,000	$ 242,000				$ 112,000	$ 21,000
Outstanding borrowing				$ 0	$ 0							$ 0		$ 0
Dr. Shawn Qu \| One-year loan facilities \| Chinese Commercial Banks
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Maturity term of credit facility											1 year	1 year	1 year	1 year	1 year
Maximum borrowing capacity	¥ 896,000										¥ 896,000		¥ 888,000			138,000,000			¥ 1,866,000
Amounts drawn down																78,225,000	145,095,000
Dr. Shawn Qu \| Two-year loan facilities \| Chinese Commercial Banks
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Maturity term of credit facility											2 years	2 years
Maximum borrowing capacity	¥ 450,000										¥ 450,000					69,300,000
Amounts drawn down																63,113,000
Dr. Shawn Qu \| Three-year loan facilities \| Chinese Commercial Banks
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Maturity term of credit facility											3 years	3 years
Maximum borrowing capacity																150,000,000
Amounts drawn down																$ 0
CSI Skypower
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Amount due from related party																	0
Ownership Percentage	50.00%										50.00%					50.00%
Prepayments for bidding to affiliate																$ 1,836,000	$ 2,718,000
GCL-CSI (Suzhou) Photovoltaic Technology Co., Ltd. \| SZSP
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Amount of financial guarantee of related party loan facility	¥ 21,000	¥ 37,200									¥ 21,000					3,200,000		$ 6,100,000
Term of financial guarantee of related party debt	2 years	3 years
49% owned affiliates
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Amount due from related party																0
Trade receivable from affiliate																$ 101,124,000
Ownership Percentage	49.00%										49.00%					49.00%
Amount due to related party																$ 36,982,000
Tranquillity and Roserock
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Amount due to related party																27,116,000
Tranquillity \| Recurrent
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Unconditionally buyer payment guarantees for payable balances due by related party																98,200,000
Garland \| Recurrent
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Unconditionally buyer payment guarantees for payable balances due by related party																$ 0
Roserock and Garland
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Revenue from sale of solar products												$ 28,132,000
Tranquility, Garland, and Roserock
RELATED PARTY BALANCES AND TRANSACTIONS
Revenue from providing development services												$ 69,712,000