Oil Security And China's Foreign Policy Choices

Oil, so far the best energy resource serving to our modern industry and economy, plays a very important role in promoting the development of our national economy and in achieving our national strategy. To ensure sufficient and stable oil provision is directly related to the political, economic and military security of a nation. Besides the influences on the national economy and social stabilization, oil security also affects the world political pattern significantly. In brief, oil security is not only a problem related to economy security or market, but also closely associated with politics and national security. Therefore, great attention should be paid to oil security systematically and strategically.With the continuous and fast development of China's economy, China became a net oil import country in 1993 and a net crude oil import country in 1996. External dependence, especially on oil imported from Middle East and Africa, has already exceeded the universally accepted security line, which is 30 percent of the total consumption demand, and is still increasing. This means that China risks more seriously in oil security both economically and politically, and oil security has become an important strategic point that affects our country's economy security and political stabilization. To investigate, in depth, the relationship between oil security and foreign policy choices is a subject of strategic importance to both our domestic politics and foreign relationship.In an international environment where economic globalization and regional economic integration are developing, to satisfy the continuous increase of the energy consumption demand, China must consider and study the world oil developing trend seriously and frame a long-term oil strategy that is in accordance with the basic situation of China to guarantee China's oil security. As a result, it is of realistic and strategic importance to make sure how to protect our national oil security in view of foreign policy choices, so as to make our national diplomacy more efficient in obtaining an ample and stable oil provision.Two parts were employed in the present thesis to investigate the relationship between oil security and China's foreign policy choices.In the first part, author analyzed the world oil situation and its influences on international politics. A macroscopic analysis was made, based on the distribution of world oil resource and its developing trend, import and export structure, transportation pattern and geo-politics, so that a general recognition on Chinese oil external environment was achieved. As well, analysis on the major influences of oil on foreign policy was also made in this part. Through analyzing what oil has done on international politics and world military strategy and by investigating the clash of civilization and non-traditional security factors, the author presented, in this thesis, the impacts of oil on foreign policy of powerhouses, and make it clear that oil is an important point in formulating a country's foreign policy.Relationship between oil security and China's foreign policy choices was discussed in the latter part. Suggestions on foreign policy in favor of Chinese oil security protection have been promoted, by analyzing China's oil security situation, challenges and opportunities that China is faced with, future oil sources and contests among powerhouses in the international political environment. New ideas were put forward in this thesis through systematically study on oil security and China's foreign policy choices. They are:First, oil security, in its nature, is not only relative to the economy security and market, but also closely linked to politics and national security. That is to say, we should consider oil security from the point of view of politics, as well as from the perspective of economy security. Second, major reasons why China is passive in oil obtaining were investigated in the thesis. Great challenges were posed to China's oil security due to poor understanding...