Chinese economic growth has been the most significant developments of the late and early 21st century. In turn, energy consumption has been one of the key determinants of this development, fuelling large scale energy consumption making China the second largest energy consumer (15.6 per cent) in the world, second to USA (21.4 per cent). This in turn has created demand for more energy resources. ‘Energy Security’ i.e. affordable, adequate and reliable supply of energy resources has become an important factor of Chinese development strategy and its strategic thinking.

This in turn has unleashed a search for not only new sources of energy but security of its transportation routes. This has resulted in ‘resource security’ becoming an important factor shaping Chinese strategic perspective. The question however is, how to ensure energy security? What is the role of military power vis a vis energy security and in turn, how much does this affect the military doctrine? How does the energy vulnerability of the state influence the modernisation of the army?

In the book ‘China’s Energy Strategy: The Impact on Beijing’s Maritime Policies’ the authors try to provide a qualitatively new level of analysis of the Chinese energy strategy, by expanding the range of components that make the strategy. Whereas most analysis focus on the optimisation of fuel and energy balance, development of energy saving and energy efficiency, creation of strategic oil reserves, and diversification of import of energy resources, this book, in addition, focuses on the set of external challenges and threats to China’s energy security that comprise territorial disputes (that impede the development of oil and gas fields). The lack of China’s own fleet of transportation, and inadequate security of sea lanes of communication, particularly the fact that they are dominated by inimical powers thereby increasing Chinese vulnerability; given the fact that Chinese dependence upon Middle Eastern energy sources despite major attempts at diversification will only increases from existing 45 — 50 per cent to 60 and could go up to 80 by 2025 and beyond.

The editors of this book are Gabriel B. Collins, Andrew S. Erickson, Lyle J. Goldstein, and William S. Murray, all academic staff at the US Naval War College and three of four belong to the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) that was founded in 2006 as a part of the Strategic Research Department of the Naval War College which is focussed toward enhancing the US Navy’s knowledge of the maritime dimensions of China’s rise towards great power status. The book is a compilation of the papers presented at the CMSI’s second annual conference ‘Maritime Implications of China’s Energy Strategy’. The articles written by contributors to the conference falls into three different categories, namely economists, naval analysts and/or ‘China Watchers’. The book attempts to address the three questions; what is China’s energy strategy? What role might energy dependence play in China’s emerging naval modernisation and lastly what are the implications of China’s energy strategy for its maritime strategy?
Taking cognisance of above key issues, the book has grouped the contributions into four parts, as under:

• Energy Future and National Security Strategy;

• Global Energy Access;

• Naval Developments; and concerns regarding Energy Access Denial

• Energy Security and Sino-American Relations