ABSTRACT
In 2013, China's domestic oil demand reached 9.8 million barrels per day, almost double its 2003 level, contributing every year throughout that decade to roughly 60 per cent of the growth in global energy demand. While the growth in Chinese oil demand is expected to slow due to the Chinese government's move to restructure its economy and tackle environmental degradation, overall oil demand in China is still set to rise. China's relations with the region date back to the Maoist years when ties were shaped by the broader strategic and ideological context of the Cold War and China's foreign policy doctrines. Middle Eastern capitals were turning to Beijing in an attempt to promote exports in order to even out their trade deficits with China, and the latter's diplomats were therefore looking for a way to increase imports from the Middle East.
