La transición energética de Chinaperfiles y propulsores internos

Zusammenfassung

Since the beginning of the 1990s, China has been undergoing what could be termed as an energy transition. The increasing provisioning of hydrocarbon in international markets is perhaps the most striking feature of this transformation. Therefore, analysis of the Chinese energy system frequently leads to geostrategic studies. In this article we analyze, on the one hand, the features that define the energy transition in China �not exclusively its dependence on foreign oil markets� highlighting (four) continuities and (seven) ruptures with the traditional scheme. On the other hand, we study the relation between those energy transformations and three elements of China�s current development phase: i) strong growth and changes in industrial specialization, ii) transportation expansion, and iii) new social patterns deriving from urbanization and consumption habits. Therefore, if these three elements of development actually are drivers for China�s energy transition and if they persist, the current features of the energy transition, including the growing dependence on external markets, will prevail in the near future.