Victor said it would be extremely difficult for any one country to manipulate a global commodity market such as oil. But he added that there were mixed opinions about China's energy policies in Central Asian and Africa. Dong said some countries, including the United States, which rely heavily on oil, are not happy to share global energy resources with China as a newcomer to the oil market.

China now is concentrating on exploring domestic energy sources and investing more money in finding more oil at home, Pang said. The country expects its oil production to hit 200 million tons a year by 2010. But in recent years, China has acted boldly to develop and experiment with renewable and alternative energy sources. The government has an energy-conservation policy that puts saving energy and reducing emissions at the top of its national agenda. This, to a large extent, downplays the country's dependence on fossil fuels, Pang said.

"It is unfair for Western countries to reproach China's energy policy," Pang said, because Central Asia is geographically adjacent to China, and it is convenient and economical for China to transport oil from there. The mutually beneficial practice guarantees regional energy security, which is the basis of global energy security. Also, investing in Central Asia and Africa is part of the "going global" strategy of some large Chinese companies. But with only 10 years of experience with this global strategy, China still lags far behind Western countries that have been importing and exporting oil for more than 100 years.

Cooperation

Dong said although China was not a member of the IEA or other international energy organizations, it was frequently mentioned at many summits and symposiums-evidence of the country's role as a growing force in the global economy. He also said China needs to work more closely with the IEA to facilitate further communication, introduce its energy policy, show its resolve in developing renewable energy, share sophisticated energy technology and enhance energy efficiency.

So far, China has participated in several dialogues with the IEA. In 1996, the two signed the bilateral Memorandum of Policy Understanding in the Field of Energy to strengthen their cooperation in energy conservation, efficiency, investment, trade and supplies, and environmental protection. In 2001, a joint China-IEA Workshop on Emergency Oil Stock Issues was held, in which they shared their experiences in the construction, maintenance and use of oil reserves.

Last December, for the first time ever, the IEA invited Chinese delegates to attend "Committee Week," which focused on emergency response preparedness, the outlook for oil, energy technology collaboration and energy efficiency measures. It underscored the decision of China and the IEA to work together for clean and reliable energy for the future and overcome global challenges.

In addition, China and the IEA reached an agreement to collaborate on data collection and transparency in strategic oil reserves. China will participate in the IEA's emergency response exercise in late June, which will be a further step in identifying closer engagement in the future.