Formulation of Energy Policy in China
This report focuses on the structure and efficiency of energy policy-making in China. Beginning their analysis by referencing the "diffuse" nature of Chinese policy development generally, the authors identify a large number of government agencies and other actors involved in making China’s energy policy, while dissecting and mapping their roles in this decentralized process.
The underlying claim put forth by Burke, Jansson and Jiang is that the development of Chinese energy policy is not produced by any centralized energy authority, but rather by a diverse group of stakeholders, foremost among which are the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the National Development and Reform Commission.
Despite emphasizing the importance of these government actors, however, the authors insist that the CPC and the Reform Commission are not the sole authors of policy. They note that the largest Chinese oil companies, research institutions and financial organizations are also engaged in energy policy-making – thanks in part to their collaboration withs the CPC and the government, but also due to the growing importance of Chinese commercial enterprise on the international stage. The report predicts that as China expands its operations in the energy sector globally, these ‘secondary’ players will gain a greater influence over national energy policy.
Burke et al. seem ambivalent about the general direction of Chinese energy policy. While they identify a handful of recently-established government institutions dedicated specifically to energy issues, they note that these bodies have had a minor share in the actual policy-making to date. They anticipate that some, like the National Energy Administration (NEA), may begin to play an intermediary or even leading role between the many parties involved, noting that such leadership would help to focus and simplify the creation and administration of energy policy in China. Given the existing complexity of China’s policy system, however, the authors express doubt that any authority (the NEA included) might manage to bridge the gaps in China's large energy bureaucracy and 'mitigate infighting' between its many members in the near term.
