China continues to show growing signs of stress from oil's surge toward $100, with the government ordering oil companies in recent days to make more fuel following last week's rare increase in pump prices.

News said that China's booming demand for oil, as well as that of other increasingly rich Asian countries such as India, is a key factor underpinning oil's rising price.

Oil prices are also starting to hurt food prices, adding to the government's concern about inflation.

What's your mind? Will you have a little afraid?

Replying to [chuyitian]:oil prices rise due do various factors. One being an increased demand not only China but also India and in general.
Second reason are the various tensions in the world, which have also a great impact on oil prices.
Increase in demand will continue to grow as countries develop more, and as such with so many developing countries it is not likely that demand will ever decrease, even at high prices !
This high demand will increase pollution which in turn stresses the environment. Therefore it is important that alternative energy sources must be found - one of them is biodiesel - wind energy - water energy - solar energy - etc.
However as long as governments now that they can make fortunes out of the unfair taxes on gas and diesel etc. it is unlikely that these alternatives will get into the market as quickly as they should.

Replying to [chuyitian]: The increasing oil prices are really a worry factor in all sectors whether it is US, China or India.

The prices of oil are directly or indirectly related to all the industries and such surge in the prices are really not going in favour of consumer chain.

I think the time has come to find alternative resources that will help mankind in nearest future.

Replying to [chuyitian]: A lot of people do mind including me, many people do feel scare about it. For example in Australia the petrol price has gone up to $ 1.50 per litter this week. But what else can we do about it! How can we change it! The fact is, it affects on the whole world not only to China. China, like the other industrialized nations, being the world manufacturer hub has to increase its oil imports year by year to make sure enough manufactured goods to be made to satisfy the appetite of world consumers. All together they put the pressure on the oil supply. Maybe we have relied on oil for too long. I do think it is the time for a new energy resource about to come. For example solar energy, wind mill, clean coal....

Replying to [chuyitian]:

The fuel increases will affect China quite a lot.... The inflation rate is getting a bit out of hand in China and the pressures being put on manufacturing by the government to keep prices down to continue the excessive trade balance are quite large..... Add to that the exchange rate pressures in the last few months + the exchange rate pressures coming from the EU in about 4-8 weeks (thru the WTO) with a new round of trade Negotiations with the US (exchange rate is a major US point here also)........... and the pressures on Chinas economy are becoming very dangerous to the average person on the street.

China cannot supply herself with her own energy needs, coal/ oil/ etc are NOT something China has much of..

trade negotiations in the last 24 months with some African countries to tie up oil production will not be enough..... and that has cost China over 2 billion in foreign aid to get...........

Add all that up, plus the now competiative pricing from other Asian countries and China is going to have to make some serious changes in the next couple of years to stay out front.

There is one thing that really bugs me is that, with all those monies coming in from the huge trade deficit, why China has not make any effort to introduce their own plan for using less gas.  The environment meeting in Bali nearly breaks apart becuase US will not accept China and India (developing countries) to have no CO2 emission limits. Wouldn't it be better if China would come out and say, "Let cut the CO2" emission by XX% in YY years later....

I am really sick and tire of countries talking about how the oil prices affects their economy, food prices, retail prices........blahblah.....Because I am driving less, and using less heating oil this winter, sorting out can and plastics, recycling and doing more things than each govt had done......

IMO, if every citizen in this world were to do 1 single thing to cut down oil usage, there will not even be a problem with rising oil prices.