DIIS seminar: Fremtiden for Kinas energi – ‘Boom’ eller ‘Bust’?

TID: Onsdag den 27. august kl. 14.30-16.30

STED: DIIS, Danish Institute for International Studies, Main auditorium, Gl. Kalkbrænderi Vej 51A, 2100 København Ø.

TILMELDING: Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use the online registration form no later than Tuesday, 26 August 2014 at 12.00 noon. Sign up

Will China Boom or Bust on Energy? The Foreign and Security Challenges of China’s Natural Resource Demands

A growing demand for oil, coal, water, and other natural resources is one of the most important foreign and security policy challenges facing China today.

In two decades, China went from being an oil exporter in 1993, to become the top importer of petroleum after surpassing the United States in late 2013.

Over half of China’s oil demand is met through foreign imports, the majority of which come from the Middle East. China is also both the world’s largest coal producer and importer, consuming nearly half of the world’s coal production.

Meeting these enormous energy demands is essential to maintain strong economic growth in China. But they are also the main contributors to China’s high levels of air pollution and environmental degradation.

Whether Beijing can design and implement an energy strategy that keeps the economy running in a sustainable manner is a critical issue not only for China, but also for the world.

This seminar will explore how China has come to cope with these pressing energy security issues over the past two decades, the interconnected risk from its oil, water and food needs, and how the geopolitics of the energy boom in the United States will impact China in the coming years.

Speakers

• Michal Meidan, Associate Fellow, Chatham House & Director, China Matters
• Elizabeth Wishnick, Senior Research Scholar, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University & Associate Professor, Montclair State University
• Jane Nakano, Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
• Luke Patey, Senior Researcher, DIIS

The seminar will be in English and live streamed on www.diis.dk.

Read the full programme