[conservativecorner]

Why would our dear friends the Chinese need to do this? They will have enough gas to run the country for a year without re-supply. I don't trust them one bit.

each capable of holding more than 25 million gallons of oil -- enough to supply every driver in China with gasoline for a month.

[Fierce Allegiance]

That'll make a hell of a target.

[Haro_546]

for security reasons i guess.

[Pearls Before Swine]

"Strategic petroleum reserve."

[anniegetyourgun]

I think the Chinese have decided that he who has the fuel will make the rules.

[RightWhale]

They are putting huge berms around the tanks so when the tanks collapse the oil will be contained until they can mop it up with sponges. Absorbent, yellow, and porous. Otherwise they are setting up yet another colossal potential catastrophe.

[weenie]

In short order, the price of oil is going to go through the roof. But, of course, as it rises it brings into feasibility a huge array of alternative energy sources, some of which have yet to see the light of day (except in science fiction publications).

[EA_Man]

It's not so the automobiles have fuel. It's so that their armed forces have fuel.

Any agressive move (Taiwan?) that China makes would almost certainly lead to some kind of embargo / boycott. Having this oil would enable China to continue with its plans in spite of any "temporary interruptions".

[Finalapproach29er]

Why the USA hasn't doubled the size of our SPR is sheer stupidity.

[eagle11]

China is gearing up for a future oil war, or an embargo should it act against Taiwan. But the PRC must justify its existence by adequately fueling their economic growth, which is tied to social stability. They are faced with millions of unemployed young people in the near future, a tinderbox for revolution. Millions of peasants are being displaced by modernization. Their near-term problem is certainly domestic order.

In the worst case scenario, if China attacks Taiwan, we could hit their reserves with conventional bunker busters.

The fact is China will be our main competitor and we should expect this and hope we can coexist. But the PRC has become a fascist state, the economy is run by the military and they will expand their military presence to protect their expanding global interests. We must maintain our strength and push for human rights reforms in the PRC, and accept them (with caution) as trade partners.

This is a primary reason why a Republican strong on defense must win the 2008 election. He or she must continue the tone Bush has firmly set.

[rudypoot]

Hermph...

25 million gallon tank
55 gal per barrel
$45 per barrel
$20.4 Billion of oil in each tank
52 tanks
= $1.06 Trillion in oil reserves.

Or

25 million gals x 52 tanks = 1.3 billion gallons
1.3 billion gallons = 23.6 million barrels
23.6 million barrels x $45 = $1.06 Trillion

That's alot of oil.

[ken21]

no doubt they don't have baba boxer there interferring with their every move.

[maestro]

Hundreds of Millions of old Chinese bicyles traded in for hundreds of millions of new Chinese cars....

The U.S.A. to pay the bill in high gas prices...

Europe loves this......

EU dollar vs the U.S.A. dollar.......they ARE NOT the same thing....