China, India, and Energy in South and Central Asia

(please note: technical difficulties prevented recording of the first 10 minutes of the event.)

On Friday, March 11, 2011, the New America Foundation welcomed Rajan Gupta, senior researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to speak about regional energy issues in Asia. Two nations now dominate energy markets in the region, China and India, and both have made massive investments in hydrocarbon over the last few years. Dr. Gupta examined the strategic implications of these investments and the competition now under way for resource security.

Dr. Gupta addressed the systemic issues that now plague developing countries seeking energy security. Factors cited include unequal regional development, rapid urbanization, expanding populations, and issues related to aging. The speaker also offered a strategic overview of how China and India view each other and how localized competition for energy could impact America’s foreign policy posture.

Extensive slides and comments suggested that China is extending contracts and markets aggressively to guarantee access to energy—a strategy very different from the United States, which has relied on “hard power” to preserve vital sources of energy (e.g. the Persian Gulf). Especially useful was Dr. Gupta’s assessment of China’s strategy, which is based on commercial acquisition rather than intimidation. Looking forward it appears China enjoys a better position than India in a world defined by energy scarcity.

Patrick Doherty, Director of the Smart Strategy Initiative at the New America Foundation, moderated the event.

Participants