China surpasses US in energy consumption

Associated Press

PARIS

China is king of the world in energy consumption, surpassing the U.S. years ahead of forecasts in a milestone that left the Asian giant immediately rejecting its new crown.

Sensitive to its status as the world’s biggest polluter, China long has pointed fingers at developed nations in climate-change talks and resists any label that could increase international pressure for it to take a larger role in curbing greenhouse-gas emissions.

When the Paris-based International Energy Agency released its data Tuesday, China branded it “unreliable.”

The United States still consumes more energy and oil per capita than China. But China’s faster-than-expected shift has global consequences for markets and the environment, reflecting its transformation from a nation of subsistence farmers to one of workers increasingly trading their popular bicycles for cars and buying energy-hungry home electronics.

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