ABSTRACT
China's hunger for massive amounts of energy is driving policy in Beijing. The dynamic economic growth rates experienced in the last 20 years coupled with increased manufacturing levels, rising exports of low-cost goods, rapid urbanization, and higher demands for air travel and land transport increases China's appetite for crude oil, natural gas, timber and critical minerals. 1 In recognition of much-heralded resource depletion and talk about climate change, China has embarked upon replacing a portion of the coal, gas and oil it consumes with alternative forms of energy while addressing some drawbacks and their interference with extra growth in the renewable energy sector (i.e. solar photovoltaic, wind, solar thermal, wave movement, geothermal and biofuels from non-food plants). 2 In the meantime, Beijing continues to buy oil from traditional oil-producing countries (in the Middle East), and it also seeks its own sources abroad (in Africa, Central Asia and Latin America). These sources are sometimes located in far-flung locations, which are often, by common standards, not pleasant environments. China is also interested in minerals, such as copper, iron ore, gold, silver and tungsten, as well as natural resources like rubber, timber and potable water. 3
