China’s Global Search for Energy

A 30-year natural gas deal with Russia and towing a massive oil rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea are just two examples of China’s intense pursuit of energy. “Whether by diplomacy, investment or in extreme cases, force, China is going to great lengths to satisfy its growing hunger for energy to fuel its expanding car fleet and electrify its swelling cities,” report Clifford Krauss and Keith Bradsher for the New York Times. Economic growth requires energy. The world’s second largest economy is also the world’s biggest energy consumer, wielding influence over markets and prices. For example, China uses more coal than the rest of the world combined, though the Russian deal may reduce that reliance. Krauss and Bradsher review Chinese relations with a range of energy-rich nations in its search for stable product supply, pointing to confrontation in Vietnam, non-interference in Iraq, and cooperation in Ecuador where China finances development sells that oil around the globe. – YaleGlobal