From Hard Assets Investor:

China oil consumption grew - yes grew - 4% during the month of April, according to a report by Platts. The amazing thing isn't the size of the growth, but that it occurred at all. After all, oil demand in China dropped 6% during the first quarter of the year.

Given all the hopes that are resting on a China-led global economic recovery, a 4% increase is quite good news - especially when everyone else is looking at consumption dropping. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has forecast global consumption to drop by 1.8 million barrels per day in 2009, and the International Energy Agency said in its latest monthly report that global oil consumption is at its lowest levels in two decades.

What's behind the increase?

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