The blockade of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz threatens China's oil imports from the Middle East. That's why China is sharply criticizing the war in Iran, this time surprisingly citing international law.
Chinese state media presents the US as a troublemaker, and in one cartoon, even as a Devil Who Sets the World on Fire with Bombs. The war in Iran, however, does not play a dominant role in the Chinese media, as the National People's Congress is currently in session - one of the most important domestic political events of the year, writes the German public media ARD.
Harm to the world economy
In the information about Iran, great attention is paid to the consequences of the war for the world economy - it is noted that the disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important sea routes for the world oil trade, leads to higher energy prices, higher transport costs and more expensive insurance for tankers. However, almost nothing is said about how all this will affect China, the German publication points out.
China, the world's second largest economy, bought 80 percent of Iranian oil last year - despite international sanctions imposed on Tehran, according to data from the analytical company Kepler. Imports from Iran account for about 12 percent of China's total oil imports. This means that Iran is more dependent on China than the other way around.
Concern over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz
That's why China relies heavily on oil imported from the Persian Gulf countries - Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Almost half of China's oil imports come from these countries, and tankers from there pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
That's why the disruption of supplies through the strait is a "very big concern" in China, Angela Stanzel of the Berlin-based Science and Politics Foundation told ARD.
Alternatively, China could import even more Russian oil and gas. For Beijing, this is a "relatively cheap and easy option," since Russia is also quite dependent on China. China's strategy, however, is clearly different - Beijing is rather trying to influence Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Stanzel points out.
International law suddenly became an argument
In recent days, China's communist leadership has repeatedly condemned the attacks on Iran and the assassination of religious leader Ali Khamenei. “The US and Israeli military strikes against Iran without UN Security Council approval violate international law”, said a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and the state leadership announced that it would send its special envoy to the region to mediate.
The German media recalls in this regard that the Chinese leadership has still not condemned Russia's war against Ukraine, which is a violation of international law. And China maintains partnership relations with Russia, as well as with Iran. The armed forces of the three countries have held joint naval exercises several times in recent years.
Dual-use goods for war
Iran and Russia support each other with weapons, while China sells dual-use goods to both countries, i.e. those that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
Iran is now using these supplies to defend itself from attacks by the US and Israel. Some observers suggest that this may also be among the reasons for the US military strikes against Iran - to prevent China from arming and equipping Iran even more, says the expert from “Science and Politics“, quoted by ARD.
China has large reserves
China has large reserves of oil, especially Iranian oil. This somewhat protects the economy from short-term shocks in oil prices. According to analysts, China has about 900 million barrels of crude oil. They can overcome short-term supply disruptions.
In addition, it is not ruled out that other countries will increase their production in response to the war in the Middle East, and in the short term, China may indeed start importing more oil from Russia, William Figueroa from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, told ARD.
Alternative routes are being sought
China is not only looking for alternative partnerships, but also alternative sea routes. For example, the usability of the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic has long been tested. Icebreakers have also been used for this purpose, since the route is seasonally covered with ice. China is also cooperating to some extent with Russia in this area: “Officially, this is the so-called Arctic Silk Road, as China calls it“, recalls Angela Stanzel from the “Science and Politics“ Foundation. She believes that for China it is a very attractive alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, although this sea route is highly dependent on climatic conditions.