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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (3973)	4/20/2006 8:28:15 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 24213

China's big need for oil is high on U.S. agenda David E. Sanger, NY Times WASHINGTON, April 18 - The competition for access to oil is emerging high on the agenda for President Hu Jintao's visit to the White House this week. President Bush has called China's growing demand for oil one reason for rising prices, and has warned Beijing against trying to "lock up" global With crude oil selling for more than $70 a barrel and American motorists paying $3 a gallon for gasoline, American officials say the subject cannot be avoided at Thursday's meeting in the Oval Office, as it was sidestepped when Mr. Bush visited Beijing last fall. China's appetite for oil also affects its stance on Iran, where a growing confrontation with the United States over nuclear programs has already unsettled oil markets. China has invested heavily in Iran, and as a permanent member of the Security Council, its position on the question of sanctions is crucial. Even as Mr. Hu arrived in Seattle on Tuesday, Chinese and American negotiators were debating a proposal for the two presidents to announce a joint study of both nations' energy needs as a way to ward off conflict in coming decades, when China's rapidly expanding need for imported energy to sustain its growth may collide with the needs of the United States, Europe and Japan. (19 April 2006) Beijing's 'new thinking' on energy security Wenran Jiang, The Jamestown Foundation China's energy policy has come under scrutiny, with the country being called an 'energy threat' by some in the West. But China believes that its renewable energy plan will silence the critics. ------------ China’s growing appetite for energy has caused widespread concern around the world. The Middle Kingdom is blamed for the sharp increase in global oil prices in the past few years, and the United States grows uneasy about Beijing’s evolving cozy relations with major oil producers such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Venezuela - some of which are hostile toward Washington. Moreover, there is a growing call to contain China as an energy threat in a world of diminishing resources. Yet Beijing is resentful of such attitudes and has taken new measures to counter its critics. In the past year, top Chinese policymakers have emphasized the fact that China, as a developing economy, is paying a huge price for mounting oil prices, a point not always recognized in the West. .... ...the latest action plans for the Chinese economy as passed by the People’s Congress last month reflects at least four new policy priorities of the Chinese leadership on energy security. ...First, Beijing has called for a nationwide paradigm shift in development strategies. The new model is labeled as a “scientific development concept” that will endorse an environmentally friendly approach to industrialization, and regards resource and energy conservation as top priorities. For the first time, Beijing set some compulsory targets on the efficient use of energy: energy consumption per unit of GDP is to decrease by 20 percent, water consumption per unit of industrial added value is to decline by 30 percent, and industrial solid waste recycling and conservation rate is to grow 60 percent—all by 2010. Second, Beijing has stepped up the overall supervision, regulation and coordination of the country’s energy industry. ...Third, China is re-focusing on the self-reliance strategy that depends primarily on domestic energy sources to meet economic development needs. ...Fourth, China does not want to be tarred as a rapacious energy user willing to enter into deals with any regime—no matter how internationally isolated—to lock up oil and natural gas assets. If Beijing succeeds in keeping demand for oil from growing at explosive rates, it will be less vulnerable on that point. ...It may well be the case that China’s energy demand will slow down substantially this year. Yet China remains the second largest carbon dioxide emitter after the United States, most of its cities and rivers are severely polluted, and it burns three times as much energy as the global average and many times more than industrialized countries in producing every unit of GDP. Consequently, China is now looking to make its GDP greener and is willing to spend US$150 billion on renewable and alternative energy in the next 15 years. Instead of blaming Beijing for its energy demands or containing China as an energy threat, the industrialized countries may be wise to seize China’s vast energy market potential in technologies of energy conservation and efficiency, environmental protection techniques and know-how, renewable and alternative energy production, and joint-efforts in managing global warming. (14 April 2006) About the Jamestown Foundation, which published this article. Also posted at ISN. China's insatiable energy needs (Circa 2006) (PDF - slide) Matthew Simmons, Simmons International China is now an energy dragon - World's most populous country - 2nd largest economy - 2nd largest energy consumer - World's largest coal producer and consumer - 2nd largest petroleum consumer - Energy use is still embryonic China's rise should not be so surprising - "China was the big surprise": A mantra for tripling of natural resource prices in last 3 years. - China's insatiable energy appetite was extremely predictable - China is not about to "hard land" - China is driving towards prosperity 2008 Olympics: 300 millioin coastal people 2020: Country-wide poverty ends (a chicken in every pot) - China has history on its side - "Pioneers" proved "The Plan" could work. (11 February 2006) Slides for recent Simmons presentations are online. energybulletin.net