The Promotion of a Larger China’s Tanker Fleet: A Case of State Encouragement and Commercial Necessities

Despite the numerous studies on energy security and maritime technology, there are just a few analyses about China’s oil shipping capacity. The purpose of this research is to evaluate China’s actions in this field, and additionally contribute to the debate on energy security. This study is an alternative to those that lie in the idea that China’s energy policy is only based on securing energy supplies (mainly oil), without considering other aspects of the problem. Although oil transportation is an essential part of energy policy, there is a tendency to consider the maximization of economic benefits over security issues. In this context, I should emphasize that most of the energy studies tend to treat the Chinese state as a single entity, without considering that within it there are different entities that are in constant interaction with other realities beyond its borders, thus causing new dynamics.