China's rapid economic growth has led to a huge increase in its domestic energy needs. This book provides a critical overview of how China's growing need for oil imports is shaping its international economic and diplomatic strategy and how this affects global political relations and behaviour.

Part One is focused on the domestic drivers of energy policy: it provides a systematic account of recent trends in China's energy sector and assesses the context and processes of energy policy making, and concludes by showing how and why China's oil industry has spread across the world in the last fifteen years. Part Two analyses the political and foreign policy implications of this energy-driven expansion and the challenges this potentially poses for China's integration into the international system. It examines a number of factors linked to this integration in the energy field, including the unpredictabilities of internal policymaking; China's determination to promote its own critical national interests, and the general ambition of the Chinese leadership to integrate with the international system on its own terms and at its own speed.

The highly topical book draws together the various dimensions of China's international energy strategy, and provides insights into the impact of this on China's growing international presence in various parts of the world.

About the Author
Philip Andrews-Speed is an Associate Fellow of Chatham House and an independent energy policy analyst with twenty years' experience of China's energy sector. He recently edited International Competition for Resources: the Role of Law, the State and of Markets. Roland Dannreuther is Professor and Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Westminster, UK. Recent publications include International Security: The Contemporary Agenda and, as co-editor, Russia and Islam: Religion, State and Radicalism (also published by Routledge).

Reviews

"The book is laudable in its interdisciplinary approach, particularly the effort to combine energy policy issues with international relations analysis. It is also sensitive to the dynamic perspective underlying the interests of different stakeholders...the book will be of interest to international relations experts, China experts, policymakers and investors who want to obtain firsthand knowledge of the energy dynamics in the country." - I.A. Siddiky, Oil, Gas & Energy Law Intelligence, Vol. 9 - issue 5, October 2011

"If China's foreign policy on energy is of concern to you, then Philip Andrews-Speed and Ronald Danreuther's new book is indispensable. In 170 tightly written pages the authors synthesise their deep knowledge of Chinese domestic policymaking with a broad and sophisticated understanding of international relations. The result is a complex argument about how domestic and international considerations have interacted to shape the international behaviour of the Chinese government and of its oil companies. In contrast to most foreign policy discussions, the authors emphasize the importance of domestic policy considerations and path dependency in the energy sector in determining much of China's international behaviour." - Deborah Seligsohn, Europe's World, Autumn 2011

"Andrews-Speed and Dannreuther's book manages to convey a substantial amount of information on a technical subject without overloading the reader or making the book inaccessible to non-specialists... Of particular interest is the first section, outlining as it does China's energy needs and policies, and the process and driving forces behind the internationalization of its energy industry... Andrews-Speed and Dannreuther's book is broader in scope and offers an analysis more thoroughly based on the domestic context for China's energy policy." - Jens Hein, Energy, Environment and Development Programme, Chatham House; International Affairs 87: 6, 2011

"China, Oil and World Politics should be of interest not only to those whose work narrowly focuses on energy issues, but to all academics and professionals who are seeking to grapple with how energy will impact the global security environment in coming decades." - C. Dale Walton; Comparative Strategy, 32:1, 89-90 (2013).

"Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels." - Z. Zhu, CHOICE, March 2012

Book Information
ISBN 9780415838313
Author Philip Andrews-Speed
Format Paperback
Page Count 248
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 460g