Iran conflict poses serious energy security risks for China and ASEAN: Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz threaten global energy supplies, shipping, and prices, exposing vulnerabilities in Asia’s dependence on Gulf oil and maritime routes. 

China must accelerate diversification and reserves: Beijing should expand pipeline imports (Russia, Central Asia), LNG from Australia/Qatar, strategic petroleum reserves, renewables/nuclear, and domestic production to mitigate risks. 

Opportunity for China-ASEAN energy cooperation: The crisis can position China as a regional energy security provider through Belt and Road infrastructure, joint investments, and collective mechanisms, while ASEAN must avoid over-dependence and ensure a balanced, non-zero-sum partnership.

The conflict going on in Iran could potentially impact global energy supply chains for energy and maritime trade, thus posing serious threats to the economic stability of China. However, at the same time, this conflict also brings about serious challenges for China, allowing it to play a bigger role in Asia in terms of maintaining regional stability and security. The challenges to be addressed by China in this regard are those of Gulf energy supplies and of the maritime chokepoints. The key to China addressing these challenges would be to manage its energy-related strategic risks without overextending itself. To this end, China must work to develop a range of options for energy supply, increase its strategic reserves, and, in cooperation with ASEAN, work to build up a sound framework for energy security.

The recent conflict in Iran has brought several challenges to the world’s energy supply and to global maritime trade. For China, the country’s largest energy consumer and the world’s largest energy importer, its energy security has been challenged. This........

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