What the Iran War Means for China’s Energy Security

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the Iran War on China's energy security strategy.

On February 28th, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites in Iran, marking the beginning of a wider military conflict with Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel, US military bases, and US allies across the Middle East and closed the Strait of Hormuz. These events have caused a major disruption in the global supply of oil and gas. China, as the world’s largest energy importer, is exposed to these disruptions, but its long-term energy security strategy has left it better prepared than most. How has China approached energy security, and how might the current conflict reshape this strategy? To discuss these issues, we are joined today by Dr. Erica Downs. Erica is a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Her research focuses on Chinese energy markets and geopolitics, and she has published extensively on the subject.

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Erica Downs

Topics covered

• energy security
• China
• Iran conflict
• geopolitics
• oil and gas supply
• military actions

Keywords

• China
• energy security
• Iran
• oil supply
• geopolitics
• military conflict
• airstrikes

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

Places: Iran, Israel, United States, Strait of Hormuz

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