Overview
- The New York Times reporting found China built up reserves and refining capacity and then reduced oil purchases and exports to preserve domestic supply.
- Chinese customs data cited in the reporting show a roughly 23 percent drop in oil imports in the first six months of the Iran war compared with the prior year.
- In the early months of the conflict China curtailed shipments of jet fuel, gasoline and diesel to neighboring countries to prioritize its own needs.
- Former U.S. officials and analysts warn the shift gives Beijing new bargaining power that could blunt U.S. threats to restrict oil access and lower the perceived cost of pressure on Taiwan.
- The changes lean on China’s preexisting strength in solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles and have raised fuel costs and fiscal strain for some U.S. partners such as Australia and the Philippines.