US-Iran War Impacts Global Energy Supply; NYT: China Shows Resilience
The New York Times reported that China, despite being the world's largest oil and gas buyer, has shown greater resilience than other countries during the energy supply crisis caused by the US-Iran war. This is attributed to China's long-standing focus on reducing reliance on foreign energy and raw materials, including shifting to coal for power and petrochemicals, establishing emergency oil reserves, and investing in renewable energy.
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- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 14:19
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 15:00 (41 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 12:38 (189h 38m after Collected)
The New York Times reported on the 6th that China remains the world's largest buyer of oil and natural gas, with three-quarters of its oil relying on imports. However, China's multi-year focus on addressing its reliance on foreign energy and raw materials has enabled it to demonstrate greater resilience than other countries during the energy supply crisis triggered by the US-Iran war.
The report describes China's measures over the years to cope with potential oil supply crises. As early as 2019, then-Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for using coal for power generation and chemical production to reduce reliance on seaborne oil. This deviated from China's previous policy of advocating for the phasing out of coal.
By the end of 2020, with severe disruptions to shipping and global trade due to the pandemic, and rising tensions with the United States, China issued an official roadmap, reportedly led by CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, guiding how to navigate turbulent times.
The article, published in 'Qiushi,' the official journal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, called on Chinese industry to 'endure hardship' and urged industries to develop technology faster than overseas competitors to achieve self-reliance, thereby insulating China from supply chain disruptions.
The report states that signals from the top leadership led to the expansion of the petrochemical industry and the construction of plants that produce petrochemicals from coal rather than oil.
In 2020, China used 155 million tons of standard coal to produce chemicals; this increased to 276 million tons in 2024; and in 2025, it increased by another 15%, exceeding the US's total annual coal consumption of 230 million tons.
Chinese officials stated that using coal is a transition towards greater reliance on renewable energy, and the Chinese government has also invested in technology for producing petrochemicals using electricity. With oil and natural gas shortages and price surges caused by the US-Iran war, China's measures to replace oil with coal are proving effective.
The report also points out that China established emergency oil reserves in 2004; before the outbreak of the US-Iran war, China's oil imports in January and February of this year increased by 15.8% compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, China has vigorously developed renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower in recent years, leading to a decline in demand for refined oil, diesel, and gasoline. A decade ago, China was the world's largest market for fuel-powered vehicles; today, China has become the world's largest market for electric vehicles.
Johanna Krebs, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), stated that China will likely view this event as an incentive to continue on its path of self-sufficiency. (Editors: Chen Kai-yu/Zhu Jian-ling) 1150407
The report describes China's measures over the years to cope with potential oil supply crises. As early as 2019, then-Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for using coal for power generation and chemical production to reduce reliance on seaborne oil. This deviated from China's previous policy of advocating for the phasing out of coal.
By the end of 2020, with severe disruptions to shipping and global trade due to the pandemic, and rising tensions with the United States, China issued an official roadmap, reportedly led by CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping, guiding how to navigate turbulent times.
The article, published in 'Qiushi,' the official journal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, called on Chinese industry to 'endure hardship' and urged industries to develop technology faster than overseas competitors to achieve self-reliance, thereby insulating China from supply chain disruptions.
The report states that signals from the top leadership led to the expansion of the petrochemical industry and the construction of plants that produce petrochemicals from coal rather than oil.
In 2020, China used 155 million tons of standard coal to produce chemicals; this increased to 276 million tons in 2024; and in 2025, it increased by another 15%, exceeding the US's total annual coal consumption of 230 million tons.
Chinese officials stated that using coal is a transition towards greater reliance on renewable energy, and the Chinese government has also invested in technology for producing petrochemicals using electricity. With oil and natural gas shortages and price surges caused by the US-Iran war, China's measures to replace oil with coal are proving effective.
The report also points out that China established emergency oil reserves in 2004; before the outbreak of the US-Iran war, China's oil imports in January and February of this year increased by 15.8% compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, China has vigorously developed renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower in recent years, leading to a decline in demand for refined oil, diesel, and gasoline. A decade ago, China was the world's largest market for fuel-powered vehicles; today, China has become the world's largest market for electric vehicles.
Johanna Krebs, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), stated that China will likely view this event as an incentive to continue on its path of self-sufficiency. (Editors: Chen Kai-yu/Zhu Jian-ling) 1150407