At the China Economic Summit of the 9th China Beijing International High-tech Expo (CHITEC) held on Tuesday, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Nicholas Tandi Dammen revealed that ASEAN will ensure the security of China's energy supply.

Dammen said that ASEAN and China will join hands in developing new renewable energy and at the same time promote energy exchange and ensure China's energy supply security.

Some ASEAN countries are rich in resources. As the largest oil producer of ASEAN and a member of OPEC, Indonesia has a petroleum deposit estimated at 50 billion barrels while its natural gas reserves total 73 trillion cubic meters. As for Brunei, ASEAN's second largest oil producer, its daily oil output is about 200,000 barrels.

China and ASEAN countries have long been engaged in energy cooperation. At present, half of Thailand's LPG export reaches China and Vietnam is China's sixth largest crude oil importer. China's three major oil giants have entered the Myanmar market. If China and ASEAN can strengthen their cooperation in new energy development, energy exchange and protection in the future, just as what Dammen said, it will contribute to realizing the diversification of China's energy channels and energy forms.

In fact, China now attaches great importance to "energy security" which Dammen mentioned. China commenced the solicitation of views on enactment of an "Energy Law" on May 8, indicating that China is enhancing its energy strategy to to the level of law. China is fully justified in attaching so much importance to energy security. In 2005, China's degree of dependency for crude oil import surpassed 38%. It is estimated that with the growth of crude oil demand that accompanies economic development, the percentage is likely to exceed 50% by the year 2020.
 
Editor: Yan