China poses no threat to global energy supply
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-08 14:05
China's economic growth poses no threat to the global energy supply, Long
Yongtu, general secretary of the Bo'ao Asian Forum and China's former chief
negotiator at the World Trade Organization (WTO) has said.
"The notion of a Chinese threat to the global energy supply reflects fears
about China's rise on the part of some Westerners," Long said Saturday in
Beijing at an international forum on China's energy strategy.
As chairman of the forum, Long said in his speech that the so-called "China
threat" emerged in 2002, when China's oil consumption accounted for six percent
of the world total.
In contrast, the United States consumes 20 percent to 30 percent of the
world's oil, but nobody is saying there is a "U.S. threat", he said.
Likewise, some people claim that China's rapidly expanding motor vehicle
ownership is threatening the global oil supply, but the fact is that China only
has some 30 million motor vehicles, compared to 300 million in the U.S., he
said.
Long accused Westerners of misguiding the world by blaming China for the rise
of oil prices in recent years, saying that it is mainly due to the turmoil in
the Middle East.
According to him, China's oil strategy should be based on the central
government's analysis of the global situation which takes account of both
political multipolarization and economic globalization.
Long said cooperation with both oil producing and consuming countries should
be an important part of China's oil strategy.
He particularly mentioned cooperation with Japan, which is involved in a
dispute with China about East China Sea oil resources.
"China and Japan are both major oil importers. There should be more
cooperation between them, rather than competition, in the energy field. They
should be partners in a global energy strategy, " he said.
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