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Title: China, oil, and Asia: conflict ahead

Book ·
OSTI ID:5239055

This book presents the first comprehensive report on Peking's carefully non-publicized offshore oil and gas program. Harrison shows why a growing Chinese offshore capability could foreshadow significant clashes of interest with neighboring countries, affecting, in particular, the future of Taiwan and South Korea; the Sino-Japanese-Soviet triangle; Sino-Vietnamese and Sino-Filipino relations; and the operations of American and other foreign oil companies with concessions in disputed areas. Powerful economic factors reinforce the political and strategic considerations that lie behind China's offshore ambitions. Increasingly, Harrison reports, Chinese leaders are turning to offshore development as one of the keys to the fulfillment of their energy production targets and thus to the achievement of rapid economic growth within their chosen framework of ''self-reliance''. The author concludes that Peking has a ''better than fifty-fifty chance'' of reaching its goal of a 400-million-ton-annual crude oil production level by 1990--comparable to the Saudi Arabian level in 1974. By contrast to export-oriented Saudi Arbaia, however, Harrison emphasizes the many constraints that will make it difficult for the Chinese to keep up with their burgeoning domestic energy needs. Given these difficulties, he cautions that Peking is not likely to export much of its oil to other countries, with the notable exception of Japan.

OSTI ID:
5239055
Resource Relation:
Other Information: A study from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English