India-China energy partnership to benefit Asia (AFP) Updated: 2005-10-02 13:55
SINGAPORE - Southeast Asia stands to gain if regional powerhouses India
and China succeed in jointly securing long-term energy supplies to fuel their
fast-growing economies, analysts said. AFP reported.
An employee of the Indonesian oil company
Pertamina walks between drums at Jakarta's oil storage depot in this
September 1, 2005 file photo. Indonesia announced sharp hikes in domestic
fuel prices on September 30, 2005, much higher than expected, to pare
crippling energy subsidies that contributed to a near meltdown of the
rupiah currency late last month.
[Reuters] | The two former rivals are now
key trading partners of Southeast Asia and if they can work together to ensure
their energy needs are met, it will mean a continuation of the sizzling growth
that has benefitted the region, they said.
"We in Southeast Asia would certainly like to see the continuous growth in
China and India," said Rodolfo Severino, the former secretary-general of the
10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
"If they are able to resolve their concerns over energy, then that means
their rapid growth will continue, which is good for the region," he told AFP by
telephone.
China and India plan to sign pacts in November aimed at teaming up to bid for
oil and gas projects, the latest signal yet that ties are improving after a
history of hostility.
Cooperation between the two Asian giants in securing energy supplies can only
be favorable for Southeast Asia, said Hugh White, a professor of strategic
studies at the Australian National University in Canberra.
"Obviously for both countries, the search for energy security is going to be
one of the key drivers for their strategic policies," White told AFP.
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