China relies on Africa for energy

CHINA would continue to rely on Africa for its growing energy needs, its ambassador to South Africa, Liu Guijin, said on Thursday in response to criticism of his country’s official policy paper on Africa issued last week.

‘China’s Africa Policy’ is the first policy paper on Africa ever published by Beijing. “It represented a major event in China’s diplomacy,” Chinese Embassy minister counsellor Zhou Yuziao said in Pretoria at a briefing of diplomats, government officials and the media on the paper’s implications.”China is committed to developing a new partnership with Africa based on political equality, mutual trust, economic win-win co-operation and cultural exchange,” Guijin said.Co-operation in the political field, economical, field of education, science, culture, health, social affairs and in peace and security is the major focus areas of China’s foreign engagement with Africa.”The paper reviews the course of China and Africa’s friendship, elaborates on China’s views on Africa’s position and role, maps out an overall plan for multi-fields collaboration put forwards objectives and measures as how to unfold this co-operation,” Yuziao said, Some international observers claim that, with China’s energy needs shaping its foreign policy, the document was introduced because of the role in its growth of Africa, which is rich in natural resources.”We are now and will continue to consume energy.With a population of 1,3-billion people, we account for 23 per cent of the world population.It is only natural,” Guijin said, describing the criticism as unfair.While China was a relatively new player in energy exploration in Africa compared to developed countries, its strategy was based on partnerships which also benefited the countries it operated in.”China is also leading the world in finding new renewable energy resources, we have committed ourselves to reducing energy consumption by 20 per cent,” he said.Meanwhile reports from Beijing are that Saudi Arabia plans to sign a wide-ranging agreement with China during King Abdullah’s first official visit to the energy-hungry Asian nation, the Saudi oil minister told reporters yesterday.Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said the deal would be signed later yesterday but declined to give further details.Energy is all but certain to be a major component of the agreement, with Saudi Arabia already China’s largest source of oil imports.Saudi Arabia supplied nearly 440 000 barrels per day of oil to China in the first 11 months of last year, 17 per cent of China’s imports.Chinese refineries find it difficult to handle Saudi Arabia’s heavy crude.So Saudi Arabia is likely to find a larger market for its oil in China if it invests in processing plants.Last year, it signed a US$3,5 billion deal together with Exxon Mobil Corp.and Sinopec, China’s top refiner, to expand a refinery in southern Fujian province.The Saudis are also in talks with Sinopec about investing in a plant in the northern city Qingdao.Industry officials have said Beijing aimed to boost Saudi crude imports under term deals next year to limit the impact of spot buying on volatile prices.-Nampa-Sapa-Reuters”It represented a major event in China’s diplomacy,” Chinese Embassy minister counsellor Zhou Yuziao said in Pretoria at a briefing of diplomats, government officials and the media on the paper’s implications.”China is committed to developing a new partnership with Africa based on political equality, mutual trust, economic win-win co-operation and cultural exchange,” Guijin said.Co-operation in the political field, economical, field of education, science, culture, health, social affairs and in peace and security is the major focus areas of China’s foreign engagement with Africa.”The paper reviews the course of China and Africa’s friendship, elaborates on China’s views on Africa’s position and role, maps out an overall plan for multi-fields collaboration put forwards objectives and measures as how to unfold this co-operation,” Yuziao said, Some international observers claim that, with China’s energy needs shaping its foreign policy, the document was introduced because of the role in its growth of Africa, which is rich in natural resources.”We are now and will continue to consume energy.With a population of 1,3-billion people, we account for 23 per cent of the world population.It is only natural,” Guijin said, describing the criticism as unfair.While China was a relatively new player in energy exploration in Africa compared to developed countries, its strategy was based on partnerships which also benefited the countries it operated in.”China is also leading the world in finding new renewable energy resources, we have committed ourselves to reducing energy consumption by 20 per cent,” he said.Meanwhile reports from Beijing are that Saudi Arabia plans to sign a wide-ranging agreement with China during King Abdullah’s first official visit to the energy-hungry Asian nation, the Saudi oil minister told reporters yesterday.Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said the deal would be signed later yesterday but declined to give further details.Energy is all but certain to be a major component of the agreement, with Saudi Arabia already China’s largest source of oil imports.Saudi Arabia supplied nearly 440 000 barrels per day of oil to China in the first 11 months of last year, 17 per cent of China’s imports.Chinese refineries find it difficult to handle Saudi Arabia’s heavy crude.So Saudi Arabia is likely to find a larger market for its oil in China if it invests in processing plants.Last year, it signed a US$3,5 billion deal together with Exxon Mobil Corp.and Sinopec, China’s top refiner, to expand a refinery in southern Fujian province.The Saudis are also in talks with Sinopec about investing in a plant in the northern city Qingdao.Industry officials have said Beijing aimed to boost Saudi crude imports under term deals next year to limit the impact of spot buying on volatile prices.-Nampa-Sapa-Reuters