CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Bhattacharjee, Barnil |
|---|---|
| Title | China, India and the Global Scramble for Oil: A Neoclassical Comparison |
| Summary | China and India, the two fastest growing economies of the world, have experienced exponentially rising oil demands over the last two decades. This has caused fundamental shifts in their geostrategic interests. While both countries have taken a “non-market approach” to secure this “strategic commodity”, their style of pursuit of oil security varies considerably. The following paper conducts a comparative study of their oil diplomacy over the last decade and argues that two “multi-dimensional factors” (that reinforce each other) explain this variation: (a) geographic and geostrategic imperatives, (b) ideology and domestic political constraints. How these factors interact with each other and which factor takes precedence varies in time and space. However, the paper incorporates the neoclassical realist framework of “intervening variables” and identifies “domestic political constraints” as the major cause of variation. The efficiency of acquiring oil deals is contingent upon the “style of diplomacy” conducted. The study finds that while India’s foreign venture opportunities are seriously constrained by its bureaucratic democracy, China’s central planning makes it a lucrative trading partner. Despite signs of cooperation in joint oil explorations at present, both China and India remain fierce competitors in the market, and the probability of a future zero-sum game of oil procurement between the two regional adversaries remain high. |
| Supervisor | Kim, Youngmi |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/bhattacharjee_barnil.pdf |
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