TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese electronics conglomerate Toshiba Corp. <6502.T> is betting heavily that its plans to buy Westinghouse, a leader in the Chinese nuclear power market, will be justified by strong growth, analysts said on Tuesday.

Concern over the security of power supplies and growing demand worldwide for energy has fueled a surge in crude oil prices, prompting fuel-hungry countries such as China to expand investment in other energy sources such as nuclear power.

For Toshiba, facing a mature market for nuclear plants in Japan and looking to grow a business it sees as a stable profit source, China represents a big opportunity, analysts said.