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In The Media

Oil Pricing

With oil prices tumbling, some experts believe that this is the perfect time for China to reform its oil pricing mechanism, because a higher tax would currently inflict relatively little hardship on consumers. The government should use this rare opportunity to create a pricing system that better reflects the full economic and environmental costs of fuel production and consumption.

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By Dadi Zhou
Published on Nov 25, 2008
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Asia

The Asia Program in Washington studies disruptive security, governance, and technological risks that threaten peace, growth, and opportunity in the Asia-Pacific region, including a focus on China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula.

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Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics

The Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Program explores how climate change and the responses to it are changing international politics, global governance, and world security. Our work covers topics from the geopolitical implications of decarbonization and environmental breakdown to the challenge of building out clean energy supply chains, alternative protein options, and other challenges of a warming planet.

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Source: China Radio International

With oil prices tumbling, some experts believe that this is the perfect moment for China to reform its oil pricing mechanism because higher tax would currently inflict relatively little hardship on consumers. In an interview on China Radio International, Zhou Dadi shared his opinion that the government should seize this rare opportunity to create a pricing system that more accurately reflects the full economic and environmental costs of fuel production and consumption. Dadi, Director-General of the Energy Research Institute with China’s National Development and Reform Commission believes that pricing policy is an important measure to encourage energy conservation and environmentally responsible consumer behavior.

Dadi aimed to keep his expectations realistic, however, mentioning that the Chinese government may raise the fuel tax in several small steps rather than in one large jump. He expressed his hope that China will ultimately follow the example set by Europe and Japan, where fuel prices are market-based but include a high tax designed to shape consumer behavior.

From a broader perspective, Dadi also spoke about China’s overall oil resources. He said that domestic oil production is increasing more than 2.2% per year, and China is also looking to secure oil imports from a wide range of other countries. The key, he said, is to diversify sources of energy, and to consider energy security, geopolitics, and economic issues when making policy decisions.

Click here to listen to the full interview.

About the Author

Dadi Zhou

Former Senior Associate, Energy and Climate Program

Zhou serves as the vice chairman of the State Expert Advisory Committee to the National Energy Leading Group of China, a member of the National Expert Team of China for Climate Change, and as vice president of the China Institute of Geo-politics and Energy Strategy.

    Recent Work

  • Article
    The Process of Sustainable Energy Development in China

      Dadi Zhou

Dadi Zhou
Former Senior Associate, Energy and Climate Program
Dadi Zhou
EconomyClimate ChangeEast AsiaChinaNorth America

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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