Home>News Center>China
       
 

Energy still bottlenecks Chinese economy
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-06-20 08:04

Because of the recent rise of oil price, many Chinese have postponed or even canceled their plan to purchase a car, and for the same reason, the production costs of machinery and iron and steel sectors also underwent a rocketing growth.

The latest statistics from China's National Bureau of Statistics showed that China altogether produced 1.603 billion tons of standard coal last year, up 11 percent over the previous year, but energy supply was still insufficient.

From January to April this year, 24 provinces in China were forced to impose restrictions on electricity supply, and during the first quarter of the year, China had to imported 30 million tons of crude oil, which led to 8 billion US dollars trade deficit.

It is a signal of the current imbalance of resource distribution in China, and furthermore, an implication that energy issue has become a major challenge to China's economic growth prospect, analysts said.

They warned that, the energy issue, in the latter half of 2004, would become a problem in almost every industrial sector, and China's eastern parts, where most of the country's heavy industrial enterprises are located, would suffer from the shortage most.

Xu Dingming, head of the energy bureau with China Development and Reform Commission, said that the energy issue in China is no longer a demand-and-supply shortage now, and it is a matter of how to raise the energy utilization efficiency.

China has suffered a poor energy utilization efficiency for a long time under the planned economy, Xu explained.

To solve the problem, Xu said, China has to take comprehensive measures, noting that energy infrastructure construction should be strengthened and energy utilization management should also be optimized.



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

China, US reach deal to expand aviation services

 

   
 

Energy still bottlenecks Chinese economy

 

   
 

US to slap tariffs on Chinese furniture

 

   
 

President Hu ends 'fruitful' 4-nation tour

 

   
 

US missiles kill 16 Fallujah residents

 

   
 

Carmaker recalls Mazda6 sedans

 

   
  China, US reach deal to expand aviation services
   
  US to slap tariffs on Chinese furniture
   
  Quasi-free trade zone being built along border
   
  QDII programme to be tested
   
  President Hu ends 'fruitful' 4-nation tour
   
  Truck plunges into gully, killing 11 in Central China
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Growing demand, inefficiency blamed for China's energy shortage
   
Public urged to save energy
   
China to expand use of renewable energy
   
China's economy on path to a soft landing
   
Premier: Economy on healthy track
   
Premier: macro economic control takes effect
  News Talk  
  When will china have direct elections?  
Advertisement