China’s size, strength insulates its energy security amid geopolitical shocks: lawmaker | South China Morning Post

VirtualRichDream · 2026-03-11T04:42:55+00:00

China's energy security, despite heavy oil and gas imports, is insulated from geopolitical shocks, according to Jin Zhijun, an energy expert. He highlights China's contingency plans, including domestic resource tapping and international cooperation, to navigate volatility in global energy markets.

VirtualRichDream

2026-03-11 04:42:55

Abstract generation in progress

Despite its heavy reliance on oil and gas imports, China’s “national strength” insulates its energy security from short-term geopolitical shocks, a prominent petroleum geologist said.

Jin Zhijun, dean of the Institute of Energy at Peking University, said that China – as a large country – could ensure its energy security amid a volatile international energy trading landscape, with multiple contingency plans in place.

They included tapping more domestic resources by increasing oil and gas exploration, pushing ahead with green energy transition, and expanding international collaboration to ensure the smooth flow of global oil shipments, said Jin, also a National People’s Congress (NPC) deputy and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

His comment came as the conflict in the Middle East sent oil prices soaring and disrupted shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for global crude oil flows. US President Donald Trump signalled on Monday that the Iran war, which began with strikes by the United States and Israel on February 28, could end soon. However, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Tuesday it would “determine the end of the war”.

China’s reliance on foreign oil and gas is widely seen as a main weakness undermining the nation’s energy security. According to government data, imports account for more than 70 per cent of the oil and 40 per cent of the natural gas China consumes.

“Of course, the lower the degree of external dependence, the better,” Jin said on the sidelines of the “two sessions” – the annual meetings of the NPC, China’s top legislature, as well as its top political advisory body – in Beijing on Sunday. “However, even if it gets a bit higher, it does not necessarily mean insecurity. The key lies in our comprehensive national strength.

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