China’s Conception of Energy Security: Sources and International Impacts
Christian Constantin
March 5, 2005
China’s fast-paced economic growth can be seen both as a powerful challenge and as a unique opportunity. However, with its imports of oil rising almost exponentially while the world experiences a period of tight oil supply, many have been concerned that China’s hunger for energy might destabilize the international markets or lead to their political disruption.
In assessing the evolution of China’s energy policy, however, we tend to commit two important mistakes. The first is that analysts often assimilate China’s future path of development with the developed countries’ own past development experience, thus dismissing evidence that might point toward a different relationship with energy. Second, we tend to focus on the external expression of China’s energy needs, its oil imports, while overlooking other energy-related crises such as insufficient electric supplies or the growing toll taken by the widespread degradation of the environment.
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