There are widespread misconceptions and misunderstandings about China’s quest for energy security both inside and outside China. Inside China, these relate to the perceived US-led oil blockade against China and China’s illusion that its investments in oil fields overseas are able to help to strengthen its energy security. Outside China, there are further misunderstandings about how Chinese policy banks operate and their oil and natural gas-based loans.

This talk by Zhongxiang Zhang, Distinguished University Professor at the College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, will address the following key issues:

• Putting China’s global search for energy security into perspective
• China’s global quest for oil and natural gas has received unprecedented worldwide attention and scrutiny
• A US-led oil blockade against China
• The operations of Chinese policy banks
• Loan-for-oil and -gas deals
• Chinese national oil companies’ equity oil shares
• Implications of Chinese SOEs overseas investment and M&A