Abstract: With the growing reliance on external energy resources, China’s energy security is facing increasingly serious challenges from the outside. Thus, taking effective measures to meet the energy challenge becomes an important issue for maintaining energy security. Various international official and nonofficial institutional arrangements concerning energy exert heavy influence on the international pattern of energy. The paper starts with an analysis of the effectiveness and limitations of major existing energy institutions, and applies institutional research methods to examine the basic contradictions in international energy cooperation. Suggestions are offered about the strategies China may take in cooperating with oil consuming and exporting countries. Conclusions are reached that China should strengthen existing cooperation with oil consuming countries within the frame of existing multilateral institution, and increase bilateral cooperation with oil exporter countries. Establishment of an international energy cooperation system led by China is hard to achieve in the near future.

Key words: energy cooperation , institutional contradiction , institutional options

摘要： 中国能源对外依存度不断提高，外部环境对中国能源安全的挑战日益严峻，如何有效应对来自外部的能源压力是维护能源安全的重要议题。国际社会围绕能源这一主题形成了形式多样的正式和非正式的制度安排，对国际能源格局发挥着日益重要的影响。本文运用制度主义研究方法，从现存的主要能源制度的效用与局限入手探讨国际能源合作领域的基本矛盾，并就中国如何与能源消费国和能源输出国合作提出了建议。中国应加强与消费国在现存多边制度内合作，增进与生产国的双边合作。短时期内由中国主导建立国际能源合作制度的难度较大。

关键词: 能源合作 , 制度矛盾 , 制度选择