China battling to kick the oil habit

TWO-TRACK APPROACH: Although President Hu Jintao preaches energy efficiency and alternative fuels, China continues to scour the planet in search of oil.

Days before a Chinese firm announced a US$2.3 billion investment in a Nigerian oil field last month, Chinese President Hu Jintao warned that China has to rein in surging energy use that has made it one of the world’s biggest oil importers.

China must create an “energy-efficient, environmentally friendly society,” Hu said in a New Year’s Day speech at a Communist Party reception, according to state media.

Taipei Times