China must secure its energy supply “in its own hands”, its president was reported to have said during a visit to one of its vast oilfields in 2021. China, which usually imports around half its crude supplies from the Middle East, is not as exposed as other Asian economies. Japan, for example, sources about 95% of its oil imports from the region. More electric and hybrid vehicles are sold inside China each year than across the rest of the world, according to the International Energy Agency. But its energy supply is not, despite Xi’s vision, entirely in its own hands.

Source: The Guardian March 20, 2026 19:14 UTC