As US and Iran step back from the brink, China faces energy security risk
- Analysts say uncertainties in the Middle East may have implications for the country – a major buyer of oil in the region
- Beijing has opposed Washington’s ‘military adventurism’ but avoided criticising Tehran’s retaliation
The US and Iran have stepped back from the brink of war, but uncertainties in the Middle East may pose a risk to China’s energy supply security and complicate relations, according to analysts.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday called the strikes a “slap on the face” for the US. He said there would be no peace until the US changed its behaviour, including a complete withdrawal of its military forces from the region.
China has opposed “military adventurism” by the US but avoided criticising Iran’s retaliation, instead continuing to call for restraint from all sides and a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Tehran on Monday said it would no longer abide by the uranium enrichment restrictions it agreed to under that pact.
China is a major buyer of oil in the Middle East, and its relations with nations in the region are key to a stable energy supply. Trade between China and Iran in 2018 totalled US$35.13 billion, with crude oil accounting for about half, or US$15 billion.