From The Washington Quarterly (Autumn 2007):
Although China and the United States do not rely on one another for energy supplies, energy security has ironically become a necessary agenda item in Chinese-U.S. relations. As the world’s second-largest and largest consumers of oil, respectively, China and the United States are becoming more sensitive to each other’s pursuit of energy sources from other countries. Likely because the Chinese and U.S. economies have absorbed the impact of the most recent global oil price spikes and still enjoyed steady growth, energy remains mostly an issue for dialogue rather than a cause for confrontation. Yet, the prospects for energy to become a cause for more serious clashes are high, with demand in both countries set to rise continuously, even rapidly.
In an age of global interdependence, Beijing and Washington should seek to ameliorate differences on tense energy issues. Although dialogues on energy security conceptualizations and policy preferences are positive, they must move beyond talking toward a true partnership that can confront the common challenges they face as importers. [Full Text]
Zha Daojiong is a professor of international studies at Renmin University. Hu Weixing is an associate professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong.
