China's energy self-sufficiency rate is high, and the country should not be blamed for rising commodity prices on world markets, Minister of Finance Jin Renqing told the recent G-20 summit.

Critics who point to China's economic growth as the cause for price changes in crude oil and other energy resources are groundless, as China supplies 94 percent of its own energy needs, Jin said during the weekend meeting of the world's 20 richest nations in Melbourne, Australia. His comments were posted yesterday on the ministry's Website.

"China pays great attention to the sustainable and efficient development of its energy resources," Jin said. "We have adopted a range of measures to achieve this, such as recently approved regulations requiring coal companies to pay for prospecting and mining rights."

Jin's remarks were the second in less than a week by a high-level Chinese official in response to complaints that Chinese demand pushed world prices of commodities such as crude, copper and zinc to records this year.

Ma Kai, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top planning body, said last week that China has is not, has never been and never will be a threat to the global energy supply chain.

Ma said China is not a "predator" of global energy resources or a threat to the worldwide energy security.

Editor: Donald