Energy Security in Asia
The Center for Global Security (CGS) work on Energy Security in Asia promotes original, forward-looking analysis and policy discussion of the security implications of Asia's rapidly growing energy demand. The Project seeks to increase awareness of the policy makers and the public in the United States and Asia of the multi-dimensional security impacts resulting from energy policies of Asian nations. The work focuses on the following areas:
- Asia energy policy and its implications for the United States
- United States, China, and India: Competition or collaboration
- Northeast Asia energy cooperation.
Asia is a rapidly advancing region characterized by soaring energy demands. Asian countries are in various stages of energy security awareness and energy infrastructure development. Some seek to secure new energy sources through pro-active diplomacy. The Asian region has one of the largest and growing shares of oil and gas imports and is taking a strong interest in the development of nuclear power. Currently, China and the United States are the largest energy consumers as well as largest energy import-dependent areas in the world. Over the next several decades, Asian nations will increase their participation in international energy trade, form energy supply and transportation alliances, balance their energy resource portfolios and ultimately make security choices about fulfilling their growing energy needs. The methods Asian countries use to satisfy their energy needs can carry significant security implications for the United States and elsewhere, impacting global prices, regional tensions, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and conventional arms.
The CGS Energy Security In Asia work seeks to increase awareness of policy makers and the public of the multi-dimensional security impact resulting from Asian countries' energy policies.
CGS activities related to the Energy Security in Asia Initiative include:
- The Nuclear Asia Conference, held jointly with The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) in Seattle in March of 2004. This was the first conference covering nuclear energy and security issues on the Asian continent.
- The Center and NBR hosted a second conference in Seattle on September 28-29, 2004 on Energy Security in Asia and covered energy use patterns among Asian countries in oil, gas, electricity (especially nuclear), and tensions arising from energy resource competition.
- A third conference held in Washington, D.C. on September 27-28, 2005, co-sponsored with NBR and The National Defense University, was "China's Search for Energy Security and Implications for the United States"
- Beginning in 2008, China-U.S. energy cooperation participating in two fora to expand U.S.-China energy cooperation on policy and technology
- Using the Six Party
talks on North Korea mechanism to improve regional security beyond
nonproliferation: Energy cooperation between NE Asia and Russia to
improve regional security, energy security and nonproliferation in Asia
with University of Washington and Seoul National University.
- Three workshops to date with representatives from energy institutes of Six Party Talks countries minus North Korea: in Seoul, November 2006; Seoul, November 2007; Seattle, February 2008
- Next steps: mini-conferences in capitals to obtain government views on new energy cooperation mechanism developed in previous workshops