Abstract
Rapidly rising energy consumption in China has attracted worldwide attention. This paper provides some insights into future energy supply and demand based on an analysis of the current situation and unique features of energy use in China. With a population of over 1·3 billion, China will need a massive amount of energy to maintain its high economic growth rate. Fast development, in the transportation sector, in particular, has resulted in continuing growth in oil imports, threatening China's energy security. Heavy reliance on coal has caused serious environment problems in China and possibly more widely, mainly by the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming. The Chinese government has been taking measures to improve energy efficiency and energy conservation to control energy consumption as well as promoting the use of clean energy such as hydroelectricity and natural gas, to replace coal, to reduce energy related pollution.