Oil imports increasing rapidly

China's crude oil imports will increase from 31% of the country's total consumption in 2002 to 50% by 2007, the Ministry of Communications said.

Imports will reach 100 million tons of crude in 2005, 150 million tons in 2010 and 250 to 300 million by 2020 with China poised right now to become the world's second biggest oil consumer following the US and the third largest oil importer after the US and Japan, the research report said.

China has been a net oil importer since 1993.