US urges Beijing to join IEA

Beijing: A US official urged China yesterday to join the International Energy Agency - a group of major oil consumers that includes the US and European governments - and aid its efforts to keep petroleum markets stable in times of crisis.

"China's participation in the IEA's collective emergency response system would make the system stronger," Daniel S. Sullivan, an assistant US secretary of state, said.

Sullivan, who is the US envoy to the IEA, said the group has invited Beijing to take part in an exercise next month to practice responding to a possible emergency, and he urged the Chinese government to accept.

"China's involvement would benefit China and it would benefit the IEA," he said.