Energy is a core resource of national economy and stable supply of energy plays a very important role in economic growth of a nation and stable life of people. But as the international energy situations such as a speedy rising of international oil pri...
Energy is a core resource of national economy and stable supply of energy plays a very important role in economic growth of a nation and stable life of people. But as the international energy situations such as a speedy rising of international oil price, the deepened competition for resources, etc have been quickly changing, the importance of energy security in international relations has gradually emphasized. Especially, countries that do not secure enough energy resources cannot help relying on importing from countries which have resources because buried distribution of main resources as well as oil is significantly unbalanced according to areas-nations. The world is pouring its effort into obtaining resources.
In the competition for resources by each country in the world, China also recognizes energy as the core resources of national economy and approaches its matter at national security level. China accomplished rapid economic growth since it has promoted reformation-opening in 1978. And large energy consumption is inevitable while connection with international economy has been gradually reinforced. When internal energy production did not get to satisfy its demand in the early 1990s, china was changed to the imported country and has gradually increased foreign dependence on energy resources. Today, China is a mass consumption country of energy and cannot help having big effects on demand and supply of energy and economy. In this sense, I investigated Chinese security strategy of energy and analyzed the effect and meaning on international economy and politics of Chinese energy security in this study.
Summary of Chinese security strategy of energy is as follow. In 1993, China began to recognize that solution of demand and supply of main resources such as energy, etc is urgent to continue to develop economy as it was changed to pure imported country of oil. So China began to execute internal and external measures at nation level to solve demand and supply of energy. In the internal aspect, China has executed policies such as energy saving to promote energy efficiency, diversification of energy source and development of alternative energy, development of west areas and building of transport infra, construction of base to store strategic oil, reformation-opening of energy industries. And in the external aspect, it is pouring its effort into obtaining resources through the policies such as reinforcement of local diplomacy to secure foreign energy and development of foreign resources, diversification of introduction line of crude oil and transportation route, etc.
The main Stream of china’s energy diplomacy is to diversify oil and gas supply countries from Middle East countries to Africa, South America and Central Asia. To secure energy, China actively involves in the bilateral and multinational negotiations related to energy and established several joint cooperative systems with the energy supplying countries, founded China-Arab Cooperation Forum, China-Africa Cooperation Forum and Shanghai Cooperation Organization to conduct inclusive multi-national energy diplomacy. One very special characteristic of China’s energy diplomacy is that both national companies and private companies are carrying out effective and consistent energy plans under the policy and guidance of the Chinese government led by its summit diplomacy. It appears that the Chinese government recently reinforced its strategic approach to diversify ocean energy transportation routes to land transportation routes.
China accomplished many results through active strategy of energy security. But it became a new variable in the international relations. In this paper, I tried to analyze the effect on international relations of Chinese strategy of energy security at international and local levels dividing it into economical and political aspects.
First, it has found that sudden increase of Chinese resource demands in the international energy market has possibility to heat the competition to secure energy internationally and intensify uneasiness about demand and supply of energy. It can deepen imbalance of international resources and act as a new variable to increase the international oil price and uneasiness. It is true that rapid consumption increase of energy by China has effect on the international energy market. But it is too early to conclude that the third energy crisis will occur due to China. It is necessary to consider the international factors such as the basic supply matter of the energy market, speculative funds, weakness of the dollar, etc because increase of the oil price and energy crisis are caused by a combination of them. It is also true that China heats the competition to secure energy internationally. But it has found that China can corporate with the countries that consume energy such as U.S.A., Japan, Korea, EU, etc to secure stable and various source of energy supply, keep reasonable energy price, guarantee safety of energy transportation route and observe the climate agreements in common interests.
In the political and security aspect, it has found that Security Strategies of Chinese energy visualizes alliance structure focusing on energy internationally and the process can provide causes of international dispute. And especially, it is analyzed that there is potentially conflicts with U.S.A. As U.S.A. reorganized alliance order including energy order and Middle-East at national strategic level after 9.11, China that did not have confidence in energy order took action to secure energy independently and got to cooperate with Russia naturally. Also China played in a role in formation of alliance structure focusing on energy because it got to reinforce cooperation with oil producing countries with strong tendency against western countries. Rapid increase of international activities by China was shown as the challenge to international order by U.S.A.
Furthermore, China leads to friction with neighboring countries to preoccupy undeveloped lands for development of energy. For example, Chinese government does not avoid conflicts with the neighboring countries to develop ocean energy resources such as oil and gas in East China Sea and South China Sea. Especially, Pinnacle Islands dispute between Japan and China and Spratly Islands dispute between South East countries and China are typical examples of territorial disputes related to ocean resources. In addition, China strengthens sea power to secure safe ocean transportation route. Chinese modernization of national defense has an effect on security order of East Asia that leads to arms race by stimulating Taiwan, Japan, U.S.A., etc as well as the energy matter.
Like this, as Chinese strategy of energy security becomes active, it can be an important variable to influence international order in the future. It is the very important issue that can have big effects on overall international politics as well as China-USA relations. But the active measures to overcome lack of energy in China cannot be solved in a short period of time. It’s because stable demand and supply of energy resources with oil confronts international crisis as soaring energy price speaks for it as the years go by. Especially, energy matter that explosively increased in the new power can be vital profits to China and Chinese strategy of energy security cannot help accompanying important changes in international politics and economy as well as establishment of external policy by it in any way.