This may make it even more difficult for Bush to maneuver although I imagine it is the China deal with Iran that will shut the door on Bush.
China and Iran have signed a 100 billion dollar gas deal that eventually could take the total value to as much as 200 billion dollars and China is known to trade weapons for oil or gas. #msg-4431516 #msg-3830816
-Am
LONDON (IRNA) -- The British government has launched its first-ever International Energy Strategy, referring to the importance of Iran's oil and gas supplies as its own resources in the North Sea dry up.
"In gas, key future producers are likely to include Norway, Russia and former Soviet Union states, Algeria, possibly Libya, Iran and other Caspian countries," it said. With regard to the oil sector, the strategy referred to expectations that both OPEC and non-OPEC productions will increase, but said the "Middle East will remain the largest producing region and its share is forecast to increase."
"The European Commission is engaged in energy dialogues with Russia, Iran and Algeria. The UK needs to work closely with the commission and member states and help ensure dialogues yield maximum mutual benefit," it said.
Launching the strategy on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw referred to energy security as being one of Britain's eight international priorities identified last December.
"Our growing need for energy over the next decades has to be seen in a changing context -- that of a probable fall in our own domestic production, as North Sea reserves is run down. We are likely to become net importers of gas by 2006 and of oil by 2010," he said. Straw said that "by 2020, we will probably be importing three-quarters of our primary energy needs -- and we will need to adapt to that."
He announced that he would be tasking British ambassadors "in priority posts overseas" to take personal charge of implementing the energy strategy and delivering its objectives.
"We will be developing with them individual Country Action Plans on energy and climate change. And we will be enhancing our posts' capacity on energy issues and making better use of our network of energy attaches," the foreign secretary said.
China’s Military Missiles Take Center Stage at Air Show AFP Nov 2, 2004, 13:18 /
Chinese military missiles took centre stage at the Zhuhai air show Nov. 2 with the debut showing of some 100 weapons and aerospace products, showcasing the country’s economic and military might.
It marked the first time China has openly sold missiles at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the only air show in the country and now in its fifth year, military commentators said.
"This is the first time the Chinese are displaying surface-to-surface missiles. Surface-to-surface missile technology is very sensitive in the international market," said Andrei Pinkov, who writes for Jane’s Defense Weekly.
"China sold that kind of technology to Pakistan at the end of 1980s and the U.S. opposed this," he told Agence France-Presse.
"For a long time, China didn’t display this kind of missile system but now they want to show the international society that they want to return to the missile market."
Pinkov said the exhibition showed China had the economic power to develop highly-advanced weapon systems.
"Russia has built a lot of things but they never complete them and when you ask them why, they always say they don’t have the money to finish it. But you would never get that answer from China," he said.
"The exhibition shows they have the economic power."
The highlight of the exhibition held in Zhuhai city in southern China’s Guangdong province was the B611, a short-range surface-to-surface missile weapon system with a range of 150 kilometers (about 95 miles). Its showing would rattle leaders in Taiwan, he said. Tensions between Taiwan and China have been growing since the re-election of President Chen Shui-bian from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party earlier this year.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to invade the island should it formally declare independence.
"Missiles pose a big threat to Taiwan because there are 600 missiles aiming at them and the range of this missile system means that it can cover part of the outside islands of Taiwan and so I think Taiwan is more and more sensitive on this system," he said.
Another highlight of the exhibition was a new FLG-1S missile-gun integrated weapon system, for use in modern air combat.
The missile, developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, was primarily made for field air defense and can be used against low-flying helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, unmanned aircraft and sub-sonic cruise missiles.
The Chinese government-owned aerospace company was also displaying a range of short-range air defense missiles and surface-to-air missiles, as well as small civilian communications satellites.
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