ЕНУ им..Н.Гумилева, Казахстан
CHINA'S
ENERGY STRATEGY IN CENTRAL ASIA
China's
energy strategy is an integral part of the long-term state program for
comprehensive modernization and development of the country. The goal is to turn China into a prosperous, powerful, and
fenced from external and internal threats to the state, which would have
influenced the development of the world. In recent years, energy strategy is
considered by the Chinese leadership as one of the conditions for economic
development stability. While the PRC occupies such a high position on the
energy consumption of the country's oil and gas sector, either now or in the
future not be able to meet its domestic needs. Share of imports in the consumption structure of China's crude oil
amounted to about 60% in 2015. During 2016 it increased to 65%, up 5 percentage
points compared with the previous year. Such data are given by China National
Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). High dynamics of energy consumption is forcing
China to step up action to develop an effective strategy to ensure the security
in the energy sector [1].
China's energy strategy provides not only the import of raw
materials, but also active participation of the national capital in exploration
and development of oil fields abroad. The declared strategy of China
"going out" (zou chu
qu) encourages large Chinese state-owned companies to
acquire assets and expand operations overseas in order to support supply of raw
materials in the PRC. This policy of "going out", which is understood
as participation in the development of overseas oil fields with the help of
Chinese technology and capital, addressed primarily to Kazakhstan and other
Central Asian countries, as they are rich in oil and gas resources, are
friendly neighbors and have relative political stability.
The
choice of these countries (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)
as priorities for capital investment is fully consistent with geostrategic
interests and aspirations of China. Beijing believed that an active financial
and economic policies, transformation of China into a major investor and trade
partner of neighboring countries will help to create a favorable international
environment and conditions for strengthening into them Chinese influence in the
future [2].
China's
interests in Central Asia are determined by a number of factors. Firstly,
Beijing aims to ensure political and social stability in Xinjiang Uygur
autonomous region of China. As noted by some Chinese experts, the government
considers the Central Asian region through the prism of the problems and
prospects of development of Xinjiang. Secondly, Central Asia is reliable
"strategic rear" for China. Thirdly, China considers the region's
states serious potential suppliers of energy and an important market for
Chinese goods, as well as takes into account the significance of the transit of
Central Asian features (in Europe, the Middle and Near East, in the Caucasus
region).
The
attractiveness of "Central Asian vector" of China's energy strategy
is determined by the following circumstances:
-
complementarity of interests - Central Asian countries need
investment to develop oil and gas resources and markets, and China needs to diversify
energy sources;
-
common
borders allows to transport oil and gas resources without intermediaries;
-
to
promote the development program of the north-western regions of the PRC;
-
ensuring
a peaceful environment and a greater influence on the Central Asian countries,
which is important from the point of view of the geopolitical interests of
Beijing [3].
Main
priority of the PRC's energy policy in Central Asia was Kazakhstan. China came
into energy market of the republic after the signing in 1997 of an intergovernmental
agreement on cooperation in oil and gas, as well as the general agreement
between the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Kazakhstan and China
National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on field development projects in
Kazakhstan and oil pipeline construction from Kazakhstan to China.
Construction
of the pipeline "Atasu - Alashankou"
with length of 962.2 km was completed in December 2005 and in July 2006 it was
put into operation. Its capacity is 10 million tons of oil a year with a further
increase up to 20 mln. tons. Oil on it already comes
to the border with China, and then by chinese oil
pipeline goes to the refinery "Dushanzi" in
Xinjiang.
China
will continue to strengthen its position in the oil and gas sector of
Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries, but today Chinese corporations
have licenses to develop oil and gas deposits of about 3 billion tons of oil
and 2 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves in the region.
Another
major pipeline project in Central Asia is laying a gas pipeline from
Turkmenistan to China (via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). The agreement to build
the pipeline and annual deliveries of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas to
China over 30 years was signed by Ashgabat and Beijing in 2006. In December
2009 was the launch of the gas pipeline "Central Asia - China". Its
total length is about 7 thousand km (on the territory of Turkmenistan - 188 km,
Uzbekistan - 525 kilometers, Kazakhstan - 1293 km).
At
the same time together with the western section was completed the construction
of the three branches of the gas pipeline in Xinjiang, due to which the
administrative center of Xinjiang, Urumqi and several other areas of the
Northern Xinjiang became the first Central Asian gas consumers. On the
territory of China will be laid more than 4860 km pipeline. From Xinjiang
crossing the entire country from west to east gas pipeline will extend to
Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
In
May 2011 in the XUAR via the gas pipeline connecting China and Central Asian
countries received 10 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas. In April 2012 for
the supply of gas through this pipeline Uzbekistan joined the organization.
In
recent years, Central Asian hydrocarbons are becoming more serious factor in
the global and regional energy markets. In the future, the significance and
potential will increase with the growth of China's energy needs. Total proven
reserves of Central Asia are: coal - about 40 billion tons, oil - about 3
billion tons, natural gas - more than 7 trillion cubic meters, uranium - 685
thousand tons. Of particular interest causes gas potential of the region -
13.2% of proven reserves of the CIS and about 4% - of the world [4].
An
important role in ensuring the energy security of the PRC plays nuclear power
development. As a main conditions of large-scale development of nuclear power
is considered cost reduction construction of nuclear power plants, which
requires the organization of self-construction of nuclear power plants, its own
fuel production and construction of reactors. In 2005, China's State Council
adopted the "Program of medium-term and long-term development of nuclear
energy (2005-2020)" providing for an increase in installed nuclear power
capacity to 40 million kW.
In
accordance with this program, Chinese companies are stepping up cooperation
with foreign suppliers, in particular Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which have
high reserves of uranium ore by world standards. To a large extent the
strengthening of cooperation in Central Asia and China will contribute to the
efforts of the Chinese leadership to enhance the process of formation in
Xinjiang a major corridor for energy imports, scarce resources and export of
finished products.
Xinjiang
today is the engine of the program for developing the western regions of China.
The current program of the PRC Government on the development Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region is the largest in the history of the country. In its
financing during the 12th five-year plan (2011-2015) allocated more than 2
trillion yuan (about 300 billion USD), which is more
than 3 times more than in the past 30 years. In terms of socio-economic
development of Xinjiang occupies a leading position among the western regions
of the country, and for certain types of production may compete with other
provinces of the PRC. On the background of the Central Asian countries,
Xinjiang is a region with developed economy: industrial goods account for 67%
of its exports, GDP growth on average 8.5% per year [5].
Therefore,
Xinjiangdue to implementation of the strategy to
revive the Great Silk Road and development of the north-western regions of
China become a major transport and energy hub, economic development and
foreign-oriented region, which in a large extent will contribute to the
strengthening of cooperation with the Central Asian states.
To
sum up, it should be noted the high efficiency of the Chinese leadership the
entire spectrum of economic and policy instruments for the implementation of
strategies for energy security of the country. Experience of the PRC's energy
policy in Central Asia, in particular the strategic vision and planning for the
long term, can be very useful not only for the Central Asian countries
themselves, but also to other States seeking to promote their interests in the
region.
References:
1. Фан Тинтин.
Развитие нефтегазового сектора Китая // Азия и Африка сегодня. - 2012. - № 1. -
С. 51.
2. Фролова И.Ю. Центральная Азия в энергетической
стратегии КНР // Центральная Азия: проблемы и перспективы (взгляд из России и
Китая). - М.: РИСИ, 2013. - С. 125-142.
3. Пан Гуан. Энергетическая
политика Китая и обеспечение энергетической безопасности в Центральной
Азии // Центральная Азия и Кавказ. - 2007.
- № 6(54). - С. 98-107.
4. Ходжаев А. Стратегия энергетической безопасности
Китая и место Центральной Азии в ней [Электронный ресурс]. - http://www.cps.uz/rus/analitics/publications/strategiya_energeticheskoy_bezopasnosti_kitaya_i_mesto_centralnoy_azii_v_ney.mgr
5. Баженова Е. Синьцзян в авангарде развития западных
районов КНР // Проблемы Дальнего Востока. - 2011. - № 2. - С. 63-70.