ABSTRACT

In a keynote speech at the Sustainability Business Conference for China and the UK given in London on April 15, 2008, The Rt. Hon. John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pointed out that:

Energy is once again a major issue on the international stage. Competition over access to, and control over energy resources is intensifying and coupled with the urgency of climate change presents a clear challenge to global energy systems. (Hutton, 2008)

The previous chapters have illustrated the important role of government in the development of corporate governance and the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on leading resources companies in China. Given the growing economic power of China and the rise of its resources companies in recent years, it is appropriate to ask if China’s aggressive attempt to control natural resources worldwide through its government-controlled resources companies will pose a threat to the world economy and stability. We can only hope to begin to answer this question here.