The Oil Boil 2005: China vs. USA

Also from CQ Weekly (Jonathan Broder, "China Changes the Global Oil Game"):

. . . Over the past two decades, China's enormous economic growth has transformed it from the largest oil exporter in East Asia to the world's second-largest oil importer(we're #1, oh yeah baby!) after the United States. And in its relentless quest for energy sources, China is also changing the global oil market (and more, Uzbekistan anyone?) . . . China's state owned oil companies have signed bilateral oil and gas deals with some 30 countries, ranging from traditional suppliers in the Middle East to uncinventional producers in Central Asia, Africa, Venezuela and Canada . . . And to ensure long-term energy security, China has decided to pay producer nations big premiums for control of those energy reserves (huh, pay 'em, not inavde 'em . . . got it!) . . .