United States Army War College

The Energy Puzzle Between the United States and China United States Army War College

Publisher Marketing: With the expanding Chinese economy and the increasing demand for energy, China's pursuit of natural resources, (oil, natural gas, coal or renewable energy sources) is reshaping the world's energy security. The United States is currently the biggest consumer of natural resources with China in at a close second. China's economic rise coincides with the decrease in the world's energy supply. This confluence of economic prosperity and energy demand concerns the U. S. China and the U. S. are the world's superpowers and will continue to protect their respective natural resource territories and rights. If there is a trend of ever increasing demand with low supply in the next 30 years, the U. S. and China may be embroiled in an armed conflict. This paper will examine the current actions China is taking for energy security and expansion, the U. S. and China's energy policies and how they affect each other, the collaboration and cooperation in the areas of energy development, energy growth and developments in energy technology. It concludes with the best case scenario of the two countries building a trust that will lead to a strategic and safe endeavor in the current engagement of energy security.