Paper Summary:

This paper aims to identify some of the implications of China's determination to fuel its rapidly growing economy by entering into economic arrangements with Middle-Eastern States. The writer reviews Dan Blumenthal's article "China and the Middle East: Providing Arms," Jin Liangxiang's article "China and the Middle East: Energy First," Henry Lee and Dan A. Shalmon's article, "Searching for Oil China's Initiatives in the Middle East," and "Managing China-U.S. Energy Competition in the Middle East," by Brookings Institute Fellows Flynt Leverett and Jeffrey Bader, in order to showcase some of China's past oil investments and find out whether, in the first place, future tensions over oil due to China's initiatives are likely to arise, and, secondly, whether China's policies will inevitably conflict with Western interests. The writer examines the proposed questions and concludes that an affirmative answer to both can be found in all four articles, although different reasons are given in each article for a positive answer to the second question.

Outline:
A Review of the Articles
Do China's Initiatives Foreshadow a Future Full of Tensions Over Access to Oil?
Are China's Policies Inevitably in Conflict with Long-term Western Interests?
Criticisms
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Henry Lee and Dan A. Shalmon's article, Searching for Oil China's Initiatives in the Middle East discusses the geopolitical realities of China's efforts to enhance energy security. According to the authors, China's oil consumption nearly doubled in the last five years with nearly half of their supply coming from imported oil. Additionally, nearly half of its imports come from the Middle East. They argue that oil imports will double in the next decade. They discuss China's gradual shift from state controlled oil companies to those more profit oriented. This was a very good examination of the oil problem, as they went into depth about the great Chinese need for oil."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blumenthal, D. (2005, Spring 2005). China and the Middle East: Providing Arms. Middle East Quarterly, 12(2), 11-9. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.
• Lee, H., & Shalmon, D. (2007, June). Searching for Oil China's Initiatives in the Middle East. Environment, 49(5), 8-21. Retrieved November 18, 2008 from Academic Search Complete database.
• Leverett, F., & Bader, J. (2006, Winter 2006). Managing China-U.S. Energy Competition in the Middle East. Washington Quarterly, 29(1), 187-201. Retrieved November 18, 2008, doi:10.1162/016366005774859643
• Liangxiang, J. (2005, Spring 2005). China and the Middle East: Energy First. Middle East Quarterly, 12(2), 3-8. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.
• National Security Consequences of U.S. Oil Dependency. Council on Foreign Relations: Task Force Report. 58, Accessed December 9, 2008

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