China’s moves to secure crude oil supplies in Africa for its growing economy does not threaten US energy needs, a senior US State Department official said on Friday.

The United States and China, which rank as the No. 1 and No. 2 global consumers of oil and petroleum products, are both looking to Africa to help diversify their oil supplies.
China’s foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing, is currently visiting six African nations to increase China's diplomatic and economic presence in a region where China already obtains about a third of its oil.
China’s top offshore oil producer, Cnooc Ltd., agreed last week to pay $2.3 billion for a stake in a Nigerian oil and gas field, its largest-ever overseas acquisition.
“I don’t think China seeking oil in Africa is a threat to the United States’ interests,” Jendayi Frazer, US assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, told reporters.  Most of China's investment in Africa, however, is limited to oil producing countries, she said.
“So one would hope that China’s investment would be broader and that it would contribute not only to China's development and growth... but it would also contribute to Africa’s growth and development," Frazer said.
On Thursday, Li said in Senegal that he did not plan to sign new energy deals on the trip. He stressed that “energy is part and parcel of (China’s) overall cooperation with so many African nations.”
Li is also visiting Cape Verde, Mali, Liberia, Libya and Nigeria.