ABSTRACT
China has a fundamental impact on the Asia-Pacific region, but its policies are inevitably shaped by the environment within which they occur. Taken as a whole, the Asia-Pacific region imports approximately 50 percent of its total oil needs. Of this, some 75 percent comes from the Middle East. Natural gas is relatively abundant in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacihc region also enjoys an abundance of coal, which meets roughly 50 percent of the region's energy needs. Nuclear power will play a major role in the future energy mix of a number of key Asia-Pacific economies. A barrel of oil added to production in one country will affect the wider international market, just as an additional barrel of oil consumed in any one country will have an opposite effect. An important element in the energy policies of Asian and Pacific countries is improved energy conservation in both traditional rural areas and modern urban centers.
