China's Thirst for Oil and Its Impact on Latin America

Unless you have been living under a rock, the news that China has become the world's top energy consumer should not have been surprising. For some years now, China has been steadily marching up the global energy consumer rankings, an ascension that was expedited by the severity of the recession's impact in the U.S.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), whose data confirmed the dubious milestone, called it a "new age in the history of energy." Even if it is not entirely surprising, the news does beg further analysis because of its implications for global energy markets and international affairs. ...