Changes in External Oil Trade of China since the 1990s:An Economic and Geopolitical Analysis

摘要

In 2002, China first surpassed Japan and became the second largest oil consumer in the World. Oil, after coal, is the second most important energy source in China, with a consumption of 348.76 million tones, which accounted for 20.4% of total energy consumption in 2006. The country has become a net oil importer since 1993, with net oil import amounting to 168 million tonnes in 2006. Surging oil deficit in China grabs society’s attention on its oil dependency problem.