China World's Biggest Net Oil Importer

China surpassed the United States in September as the world's biggest net oil importer, driven by faster economic growth and strong auto sales, according to US government data released this week, Al Jazeera reported.

Chinese oil consumption outstripped production by 6.3 million barrels per day, which indicates the country had to import that much to fill the gap, the Energy Information Administration said this week.

"China's steady growth in oil demand has led it to become the world's largest net oil importer, exceeding the United States in September 2013," the agency said in a report. "EIA forecasts this trend to continue through 2014."

China's economic boom has raised incomes and its global influence. But it also has spurred demand for imported oil and gas, which communist leaders see as a strategic weakness.

Rising auto ownership has left China's cities choking on smog and added to pressure on Beijing from its own public to curb pollution and from other nations to rein in surging greenhouse gas emissions.

The United States, with a population about one-third the size of China's, still consumes far more oil per person than China does.

In September, Americans used 18.6 million barrels per day of oil and other liquid fossil fuels, while China used 10.9 million, according to the EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook. US production was 12.5 million barrels per day, while that of China was 4.6 million.

China's economy, the world's second-largest, is cooling but still is forecast to grow by nearly 8 percent this year, well above forecasts for the US.

The Chinese auto market, the biggest by number of vehicles sold, also is cooling but sales still rose by 11 percent in August.

Beijing is encouraging development of wind and solar power and use of autos powered by batteries or natural gas. But gasoline is expected to remain the country's main vehicle fuel in coming decades.