Letter from China: Taiwan tensions expose energy risks
China’s heavy reliance on energy imports means it too would be vulnerable in the event of armed confrontation
The US and China managed to avoid armed confrontation last week after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, but the highly charged incident underlined the risks to global energy security should a war break out between the world’s two superpowers over what Beijing calls its “renegade province”. No issue has the potential to sour US-China relations more than Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory and wants to reclaim—by force if necessary. Tensions were high as the US Air Force jet carrying Pelosi landed in Taiwan’s capital of Taipei last Tuesday, marking the first visit to the democratically ruled island by a House speaker in 25 years. Pelosi met Taiwanese leaders inclu
Also in this section
17 January 2025
Supply glut or supply deficit are both plausible outlooks, with tariffs and sanctions among the key risks that could swing the pendulum
17 January 2025
European Commission is on its way to meeting clean energy goals, but energy security concerns and higher costs may give it second thoughts
17 January 2025
The CEO of QatarEnergy has highlighted the potential impact a new EU directive could have on energy exports to the continent
16 January 2025
The government’s resource nationalism is aggravating the NOC’s debt position and could yet worsen if also tasked with the decarbonisation shift