Official rules out oil crises in China By Guo Nei (China Daily) Updated: 2005-08-22 06:01
China's economic planners ruled out the possibility of an oil crisis in
China, days after an oil shortage boxed up the booming Guangdong Province.
Li Yang, a senior official at the National Development and Reform Commission,
said that China's current production, consumption, stockpiles, imports and
exports of oil products are well balanced in general, and sufficient supply has
been guaranteed.
During a weekend interview with Xinhua, Li ruled out the possibility of an
oil products crisis in the country, saying the recent insufficient supply in
some parts of southern China resulted from natural disasters and an
international oil price hike.
"The government has taken urgent measures, and the insufficient supply
problem in the province will soon be alleviated," Li said.
Local sources in Guangdong Province said that drivers are still queuing to
fill up with gasoline. The municipal government of Shenzhen decided to construct
24 new filling stations to give drivers better access to fuel.
Li's commission mainly attributed the oil shortage in Guangdong to an
inefficient transportation system, which has been partly broken because of a
typhoon and rainstorms.
Because of the shortage, some petrol stations increased the price of fuel,
which should be under the control of Li's commission. These wrongdoings
intensified feelings among the public that an oil crisis is imminent.
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