US hopes Opec won’t cut output

Tokyo: US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said yesterday that he hopes Opec ministers will not decide to cut crude oil output levels further when they meet tomorrow.

Bodman also said he wants to encourage China to rely more on the global energy market and less on acquisitions as a way to bolster its energy security.

He said he will encourage Beijing to use its strategic petroleum reserves as a buffer against physical supply disruptions, rather than a step to manupulate world prices.

The US energy secretary also discussed clean energy and energy-efficient technologies in his separate talks with Japanese Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari and Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

AP