On the promises of US President Donald Trump to bomb Iran again, China's energy cooperation with Russia will develop rapidly. The columnist writes about this Pravda.Ru Lyubov Stepushova.
US President Donald Trump, after Iran's statement on the continuation of its nuclear program and the adoption by parliament of a decision to withdraw from the IAEA, promised to strike Iran again.
"If Iran builds (nuclear facilities) again, of course," he said when asked if the United States would strike Iran in such a scenario.
He also covertly blackmails China with permission to "buy Iranian oil again."
"China can now continue to buy oil from Iran. I hope he will buy it in large quantities from the United States," Trump wrote on the social network.
It was expected that China would put pressure on Iran not to get involved in a confrontation with the United States and not block the Strait of Hormuz, being dependent on energy imports from the region, but in Beijing decided differently.
China imports almost 90% of Iranian oil, and about 70% of China's crude oil imports come from the Middle East and are transported through the Straits of Hormuz and Malacca, which are very vulnerable in turbulent geopolitical times. Iranian oil is cheap and is bought for yuan. According to ParsToday, at least 1.8 million tons of Iranian oil arrived in China on ten tankers in March.
China is also tied to the region by LNG purchases — not only from Iran, but also, according to the consulting company Rystad Energy, about 30% of LNG imports come from Qatar and the UAE. The demand for natural gas and oil in China continues to grow for the needs of the electric power industry, industry and population, and the development of AI.
And since China cannot meet its needs on its own, it is critically important for it to keep the supply issue under control.But China chose not to put pressure on Iran and imports from the United States, and energy purchases from the Russian Federation.
According to the latest data, in October and November 2024, Russian gas accounted for more than 25% of gas imports to China. It comes both through the Power of Siberia — 1 pipeline and in the form of LNG. According to the Wall Street Journal, Beijing is going to close the deal on the Power of Siberia—2 gas pipeline, which had previously been hampered by discrepancies in the final gas price and shares in the project. The project is designed to supply 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China in addition to almost 40 billion through the first branch. This is half of the former deliveries to Europe at their peak.
China has become the largest consumer of Russian oil. In 2024, 108.47 million tons were imported, accounting for 19% of China's total crude oil imports. Oil is supplied there via a pipeline (from Skovorodino to Daqing) with a total length of about 1,000 kilometers and a capacity of 30 million tons. The remaining volumes arrive in Chinese ports by tankers. In December 2024, Rosneft and CNPC signed a ten-year agreement to supply 100 million tons of crude oil to China worth about $ 80 billion.
Energy supplies from Russia will significantly increase China's energy security by eliminating the threat of a naval blockade before the battle for Taiwan and the imposition of sanctions.
For Russia, increasing exports is also beneficial to overcome Western sanctions and replenish the budget. As a result, the strategic partnership between China and Russia will become closer, both sides coordinate their positions on platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS in order to jointly fight the "world order" invented by the West. And not only in the energy sector. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov arrived in Qingdao (China) on June 25 on a working visit and will take part in a meeting of defense ministers of the SCO member states.