Xinhuanet. China’s cabinet approved in principle the draft of China’s medium- and long-term energy development program, covering the period from 2004 to 2020.

• Make energy conservation the top priority.

• Adjust and optimize the energy structure. Pursue an energy development strategy with coal forming the mainstay and electricity the center of the energy structure, while promoting comprehensive development of oil, gas and new forms of energy.

• Fully tap both domestic and overseas resources and markets. While making domestic energy exploration, exploitation and construction projects as the basis, China should also actively participate in energy resource cooperation [and competition] and development projects around the world.

• Rely on scientific and technological advance and innovation.

• Enhance environmental protection and strive to reduce the impact of energy production and consumption on the environment.

• Attach a high degree of importance to energy security. Energy supply should be diversified, construction of oil reserves should be accelerated and the energy security pre-warning and rapid response mechanism should be improved.

• Institute safeguard measures for energy development. Policies regarding energy resources and energy development should be improved, the market mechanism should be brought into full play and input in energy issues should be increased.

We can already see aspects of this being carried out in China’s decisive and expansionary moves in the global oil market and in its seeking to leverage its enormous coal resources.

To that point, Sasol has announced that it is building two $3 billion coal-to-liquid plants in China to feed the country’s demand for fuel without increasing reliance on external sources of oil—such as the Middle East. Separate post on this coming.