Eastern approaches

摘要

East Asia is among the most energy hungry markets in the world,with China set to overtake Japan in the next 10 years as the world's second-largest importer of oil.Potential instability in the Middle East-hitherto their main supply source-has sent the biggest Asian buyers scurrying for new sources of supply closer to home.With Chinese oil imports expected to reach 3.3m barrels a day(b/d)by 2010,Beijing,which has no strategic oil reserves,looks particularly vulnerable to heightened geopolitical unrest.