Scotty Bartlett
S.S 3 Rob Skiff
Social science DBQ
Question: What impact will China’s increase demand for oil have on the
USA over the next twenty years? What are some strategies that the USA has to engage in
to improve both china and the USA relations with each other in light of this new reality?
First queston:
China having the largest population in the world with 1.3 billion people is
the world’s second largest oil consumer. This is behind the United States. This might not
be the same for a long time. China is demanding f or more oil. The gigantic country is
searching for oil where the US gets its oil and also making trades with foreign
governments that could cause problems with the US. Its oil consumption grows by 7.5
percent a year, this is seven times faster than the USA’s growth in Oil consumption. It
will be worse soon considering that recently they have started a large-scale transition to
stop using bicycles and to start using personal automobiles. It is noted that by the year
2010 China will have produced and started using ninety times more cars than they are
using now. This means that by the year 2030 they will have passed the US in the amount
of cars that we own.
Since they are in the need of oil they have gone searching in foreign
countries for more oil. They are becoming much more dependant on the middle east’s oil.
In today’s world 58% of China’s oil comes from this region. By the year 2015 70% of
china’s oil will be coming out of the Middle East. China right now is really wanting to
maintain good relations with US because of the “economic benefits derived from such a
corporation. The Chinese leaders are starting to feel that “The U.S. seeks to dominate the
Persian gulf in order to exercise control over its energy resources and that it it tries to
contain Chinas expirations in the region. The U.S. is therefore considered a major threat
Scotty Bartlett
S.S 3 Rob Skiff
to Chinas long term energy security.” This means that China will be taking oil from a
place that the U.S. get much of its oil from.
Another major problem is that China is making deals with foreign
countries to gain more imported oil. The deal consists of giving the country better
military weapons thus fore causing the U.S. to be worried. “Chinas increasing need for
importing energy has given it an incentive to become closer to countries supporting
terrorism like Iran, Iraq and Sudan.” China is the number one oil and gas importer from
Iran. China also does things that cause the U.S. to get mad because they here trying to
prevent it from happening. “While the U.S. and EU were forging diplomatic strategy to
halt Iran’s nuclear program, China signed in October 2004 its largest oil deal with Iran
ever and promised to block any American attempt to refer Iran’s nuclear program to the
UN Security Council.” Also china has been known to be a supporter of WMD’s to other
rouge states including North Korea, Syria, Libya and Sudan. Another concern is China’s
sales of Anti-ship cruise missiles, which pose a threat to oil tanker traffic along with
American naval vessels that are working there. This presents a hug threat to the U.S.
security interests. This is taking place particularly in the middle east and Asia.
“A series of oil agreements signed in early 200 allow Chinese companies
to explore for oil and gas and set up refineries in Venezuela” this is one fo the USA’S
biggest oil importers. If china did this it could cause our oil imports to decrease by much.