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The vast natural resources of China are one reason why the country has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. After focusing on utilizing coal deposits for decades, the country is now looking at ways to exploit its shale gas.

An explosion and fire Monday morning at a chemical plant in southwestern China injured at least five workers and forced the evacuation of more than 20,000 people in the area.

Malaysia managed to surpass Indonesia as the top producer of upstream hydrocarbon products in Southeast Asia in 2012, amid the difficulties that Indonesia experienced in attracting new investors.

Asia is emerging as a strategically important location for global pharmaceutical companies that are looking to take advantage of the opportunities available in terms of R&D, manufacturing and market.

China's Commerce Ministry is sticking to its trade restriction policy and this was recently proved again with the introduction of another protectionist tariff for imports of two types of chemicals.

Wealthy investors from the Arabian Gulf are eyeing markets in southeast Asia and investing huge sums of money in petrochemical production in the region.

Following the global recession of 2008-2009, the Asia market for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) has rebounded strongly, growing at a near double-digit rate. Asia’s fast-growing economy is further boosting the market for SCADA oil and gas systems.

Two Stanford University economists claim that exporting coal to China will not be detrimental to the environment and actually will lead to a decline in the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

With new capacity coming online in the forecast period, China should continue to be the engine of global acetic acid growth over the next few years.

The IEA believes Asia will be at the center of significant shifts in terms of energy supply and demand developments in 2013 and beyond.