Are China's energy markets cointegrated?

The paper investigates energy price co-movement over the period 01/1999-12/2005 for China as a whole, and over sub-periods and for seven regions, using panel unit root and panel cointegration tests developed by Pedroni (1999, 2004). The results suggest that not all energy sources are spatially homogenous in prices and the processes of energy price cointegration are different over sub-periods; over groups of fuels; and over regions. Coal and electricity prices have co-moved since 2003 while gasoline and diesel prices have co-moved since 1997. The results show that there are clearly variations in the emergence of energy price co-movement over regions, implying that regional fuel markets have emerged in China. Important lessons that can be learnt from the results are that an energy market has, to some extent, already emerged in China and, as a result, energy prices are substantially less distorted than before. If correct, these findings have significant global implications both in terms of future emission reductions, emission trading and trade negotiations where China should be treated as a 'market driven economy'.

Research highlights► We investigate whether the major fuel prices in China being cointegrated. ► We use a new, high frequency, regionally based data set of market prices. ► We establish the gradual emergence of an integrated energy market in China. ► We find evidence of, energy price cointegration for the four main fuel types.