China's two decades of rapid economic growth have fueled a demand for energy that has outstripped domestic sources of supply. China became a net oil importer in 1993, and the country's dependence on energy imports is expected to continue to grow over the next 20 years, when it is likely to import some 60 percent of its oil and at least 30 percent of its natural gas. China thus is having to abandon its traditional goal of energy self-sufficiency--brought...

"Breaking the Conflict Trap identifies the dire consequences that civil war has on the development process and offers three main findings. First, that civil war has adverse ripple effects, which are often not taken into account by those who determine whether wars start or end. Second, some countries are more likely than others to experience civil war conflict and therefore the risks of civil war differ considerably according to a country's characteristics,...