Geopolitical tensions increase China’s anxiety over energy security

China’s anxiety over energy security is mounting as the country faces pressure to provide sufficient fuel to power its economy against the backdrop of increased US-China political competition and geopolitical tensions.

The country is grappling with the emerging reality that the ongoing China-West conflict, in part resulting from western powers’ assumption that China’s rise does not follow rule-based international order, could evolve into potential sanctions on China, which could lead to energy embargos on the world’s second-largest energy consumer.

The anxiety is rooted in China’s increasing dependence on oil and gas imports to meet burgeoning demand.