China's oil consumption and dependence on imports decreased last
year as a result of the government's energy-saving efforts.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said recently that
China's dependence on oil imports was 42.9 percent in 2005, 2.2
percentage points lower than in 2004. It also said China consumed
318 million tons of oil last year, 1.08 million tons less than in
2004.
"The government's effort at building a resource- and
energy-saving society has paid off," a commission spokesman
said.
Lin Yueqin, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, attributed the decreased oil consumption and imports to
soaring prices. "High oil prices forced users to consider saving
measures, causing less imported oil."
Prices soared to a high of more than US$70 a barrel last
year.
The State Council Development Research Centre, the highest think
tank of the central government, forecast that domestic oil output
would reach 184 million tons this year, which means that 44 percent
of China's oil demand will come from importation.
Pan Derun, deputy president of China Oil and Chemical Industry
Association, said China would try to double its oil supply to meet
its goal of quadrupling its economy by 2020.
Zhang Guobao, vice-minister of the National Development and
Reform Commission, said China satisfies 94 percent of its energy
needs.
"Most people are not aware that China is also a big energy
exporter," Zhang said.
Besides coal, China is also the top coke exporter in the world,
supplying 56 percent of the world's total demand in 2004.
Nearly 67 percent of China's energy need is met by coal. The
ratio of oil in its energy consumption structure is about 24 per
cent.
In addition, statistics indicated that the oil import volume of
China, with a population of 1.3 billion, was 117 million tons in
2004. By comparison, that of the United States was 500 million
tons, Japan 200 million tons and Europe 500 million tons.
(China Daily February 3, 2006)