Contract assets and liabilities (Details 5) ¥ in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 CNY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 CNY (¥)
Contract assets, net \| $	$ 74		$ 202
ZHEJIANG TIANLAN
Gross contract assets		¥ 81,198		¥ 102,144
Less: allowance for doubtful accounts		(8,888)		(7,650)
Contract assets, net		¥ 72,310		¥ 94,494

Amount of allowance for credit loss for right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126919976&loc=SL49130533-203044

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255206&loc=SL82895884-210446

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetAccumulatedAllowanceForCreditLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant