Asia: East Asia’s State-Led Search for Energy Security

Jul 23, 2016 | Michael Hart, Diplomat
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After two decades of rapid industrialization and unprecedented population growth, the demand for energy in East Asia is soaring. This has resulted in the emergence of the notion of energy security, marked by states across the region stepping up their efforts to secure the energy supplies needed to sustain their rapidly expanding economies and burgeoning populations. Despite fears of energy shortages across the Asia-Pacific, states appear to have rejected a collective effort to satisfy regional energy requirements, instead opting to pursue individual state-centered, nationalistic approaches.