[finnigan2]

Despite the length of this story, China was, is, and always will be only a bit player in Canada's oil sector. Why they even bother I don't know - China sits right beside Russia's enormous oil fields and, as we know, China and Russia have been sweet on each other for at least the past year.
However, one thing is true. There is more oil "trapped" in the Alberta oil sands than all the proven oil reserves in the middle east put together.
Very expensive to put into production, very expensive to process, the oil sands nevertheless would permit the US to survive without oil from any other outside source if they chose to invest in it on a crash program basis.

[Destro]

America can't afford the sandy tar oil - costs too much to tank up just to heat homes and drive -but its affordable if used for a manufacturing base. That is the point.

[Destro]

What most people don't understand about China is that she is not historically speaking a land conquering empire. Outside of what China considers China's natural frontiers the historical model the Chinese follow is the tribute system. What many Americans don't get is that China is not seeking power to gain real estate but rather the power to influence and control other nations and bend them to her will.