华盛顿时报：中国在中亚抢油美商不是对手
附简析华盛顿时报
http://www.creaders.net 万维读者网 2005年08月24日 08:14 AM
【万维读者网】
美国华盛顿时报8月24日发表社论指出，中国国家石油公司最近以40亿美元，标购加拿大的哈萨克石油公司。哈萨克外长土卡耶夫透露，他曾鼓励美商与中国竞标，但美商向他坦承不是中国的对手。
社论说，美商当然不是中国国家石油公司的对手，因为中国国家石油公司只不过是中国政府达成确保油源政策的平台，它为达成使命，可以加码到超过市场价值，而美商则必须完全以市场为导向。
社论引述土卡耶夫的话说，哈萨克没有选择邻居的权利，只能与中国维持良好而合作的关系。中国已在哈萨克投资八亿五千万美元兴建从哈萨克到中国的输油管，预定于今年十二月完工后，每天可输送四十万桶原油到中国。此外，中国也拥有哈萨克另一家主要石油公司的六成股权。中国国家石油公司最近也与乌兹别克签署一项六亿美元的合资案。
另外，中国最近提供九亿美元贷款，给上海集团的四个中亚成员国。土卡耶夫说，除了这些看得到的利益之外，「中国不像美国，它不会逼我们进行民主改革」。被问到哈萨克如何处理美国与中国在中亚的竞争时，土卡耶夫说，哈萨克会尽量在强权中取得平衡。
社论说，最近上海集团发表声明，强烈要求美国提出撤出中亚基地的时间表；乌兹别克也于七月二十九日要求美军在三个月内撤离乌国军事基地。这两个事件的幕后黑手，很可能就是中国。社论强调，在反恐问题上，美国与中国在中亚可能仍有合作空间，但在追求能源及地区影响力方面，两国显然是敌人。
TODAY'S EDITORIAL
August 24, 2005
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050823-091720-3448r.htm
China recently scored a victory in the Great-Game struggle for influence in Central Asia. On Monday, China National Petroleum Corp. reached a $4 billion deal to buy Canada's PetroKazakhstan, which produces about 150,000 barrels of oil a day in Kazakhstan. The deal, if consummated as expected, will consolidate China's economic presence in the energy-rich and geopolitically important region, with potential consequences for U.S. interests.
In a meeting yesterday with reporters and editors at The Washington Times, Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev was sober about China's rising clout. He said he encouraged a U.S. executive to bid on PetroKazakhstan, but the executive told him, "It's very difficult to compete with the Chinese." The difficulty for U.S. and other companies is that Chinese firms are willing to overpay for foreign assets, if those purchases will bolster China's clout abroad and help it secure energy resources. In that regard, the companies serve as a platform for Beijing's foreign policy goals, while U.S. firms consider market factors.
"We believe in Kazakhstan that there is no alternative to having a good, cooperative relationship with this country," Mr. Tokayev said, regarding China. "We don't have the choice of selecting our neighbors," he added. When asked how Kazakhstan sees the competition for influence in the region, Mr. Tokayev said, "Our credo is to maintain the balance of interests" of the big powers.
Mr. Tokayev recognized China's ascendancy in the region. "The potential and ambitions of China are growing," he said. China is already financing construction of an $850 million oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to China, capable of moving 400,000 barrels of crude a day. It is due to come on line in December. Also, Chinese interests own about 60 per cent of another major Kazakh oil producer. In Uzbekistan, China National Petroleum signed a $600-million oil joint venture.
Also, Mr. Tokayev pointed to a $900 million loan that China has offered to countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mr. Tokayev said that, unlike the United States, Beijing is not pushing the countries of the region to institute democratic reforms. "You have to take this into account," he said, in considering China's influence.
Indeed, it was the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that said in a July statement that "coalition member states" involved in Afghanistan that have bases in Central Asia (in other words, the United States) must set a timetable for leaving the bases. Mr. Tokayev said that "other countries" in the organization had argued for issuing a stronger statement that specifically mentioned the United States, but Kazakhstan had argued against them. He declined to mention those other countries, but many analysts believe China was probably one of them. In a different initiative on July 29, Uzbekistan told the United States it has three months to leave its base there.
U.S. and Chinese interests in Central Asia do converge on the counter-terror front. In the competition for energy assets and regional influence, though, Washington and Beijing appear to be rivals.
附简析华盛顿时报
http://www.creaders.net 万维读者网 2005年08月24日 08:14 AM
【万维读者网】
美国华盛顿时报8月24日发表社论指出，中国国家石油公司最近以40亿美元，标购加拿大的哈萨克石油公司。哈萨克外长土卡耶夫透露，他曾鼓励美商与中国竞标，但美商向他坦承不是中国的对手。
社论说，美商当然不是中国国家石油公司的对手，因为中国国家石油公司只不过是中国政府达成确保油源政策的平台，它为达成使命，可以加码到超过市场价值，而美商则必须完全以市场为导向。
社论引述土卡耶夫的话说，哈萨克没有选择邻居的权利，只能与中国维持良好而合作的关系。中国已在哈萨克投资八亿五千万美元兴建从哈萨克到中国的输油管，预定于今年十二月完工后，每天可输送四十万桶原油到中国。此外，中国也拥有哈萨克另一家主要石油公司的六成股权。中国国家石油公司最近也与乌兹别克签署一项六亿美元的合资案。
另外，中国最近提供九亿美元贷款，给上海集团的四个中亚成员国。土卡耶夫说，除了这些看得到的利益之外，「中国不像美国，它不会逼我们进行民主改革」。被问到哈萨克如何处理美国与中国在中亚的竞争时，土卡耶夫说，哈萨克会尽量在强权中取得平衡。
社论说，最近上海集团发表声明，强烈要求美国提出撤出中亚基地的时间表；乌兹别克也于七月二十九日要求美军在三个月内撤离乌国军事基地。这两个事件的幕后黑手，很可能就是中国。社论强调，在反恐问题上，美国与中国在中亚可能仍有合作空间，但在追求能源及地区影响力方面，两国显然是敌人。
TODAY'S EDITORIAL
August 24, 2005
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050823-091720-3448r.htm
China recently scored a victory in the Great-Game struggle for influence in Central Asia. On Monday, China National Petroleum Corp. reached a $4 billion deal to buy Canada's PetroKazakhstan, which produces about 150,000 barrels of oil a day in Kazakhstan. The deal, if consummated as expected, will consolidate China's economic presence in the energy-rich and geopolitically important region, with potential consequences for U.S. interests.
In a meeting yesterday with reporters and editors at The Washington Times, Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev was sober about China's rising clout. He said he encouraged a U.S. executive to bid on PetroKazakhstan, but the executive told him, "It's very difficult to compete with the Chinese." The difficulty for U.S. and other companies is that Chinese firms are willing to overpay for foreign assets, if those purchases will bolster China's clout abroad and help it secure energy resources. In that regard, the companies serve as a platform for Beijing's foreign policy goals, while U.S. firms consider market factors.
"We believe in Kazakhstan that there is no alternative to having a good, cooperative relationship with this country," Mr. Tokayev said, regarding China. "We don't have the choice of selecting our neighbors," he added. When asked how Kazakhstan sees the competition for influence in the region, Mr. Tokayev said, "Our credo is to maintain the balance of interests" of the big powers.
Mr. Tokayev recognized China's ascendancy in the region. "The potential and ambitions of China are growing," he said. China is already financing construction of an $850 million oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to China, capable of moving 400,000 barrels of crude a day. It is due to come on line in December. Also, Chinese interests own about 60 per cent of another major Kazakh oil producer. In Uzbekistan, China National Petroleum signed a $600-million oil joint venture.
Also, Mr. Tokayev pointed to a $900 million loan that China has offered to countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mr. Tokayev said that, unlike the United States, Beijing is not pushing the countries of the region to institute democratic reforms. "You have to take this into account," he said, in considering China's influence.
Indeed, it was the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that said in a July statement that "coalition member states" involved in Afghanistan that have bases in Central Asia (in other words, the United States) must set a timetable for leaving the bases. Mr. Tokayev said that "other countries" in the organization had argued for issuing a stronger statement that specifically mentioned the United States, but Kazakhstan had argued against them. He declined to mention those other countries, but many analysts believe China was probably one of them. In a different initiative on July 29, Uzbekistan told the United States it has three months to leave its base there.
U.S. and Chinese interests in Central Asia do converge on the counter-terror front. In the competition for energy assets and regional influence, though, Washington and Beijing appear to be rivals.
