Two points:
1. Iraq/Iran for China is not really overseas - they share the same land mass. It is rather the issue of the landroads and pipelines.
2. China has huge reserves of coal. Coal can be liquified and as oil becomes more expensive this can become viable option.
Same thing with agriculture. Our ability to make China addicted to American and Canadian wheat is also an ability for us to have the upper hand with them.
China can make her agriculture more efficient (even Japan with much higher density of population can produce most of Japan's grain). In northern China there are large tracks of land suitable for the wheat cultivation.
Can you name a pipeline that goes over 10,000 feet? China's eastern and southern border is the Himalaya's, Pamir's, Tien Shan, and Altai mountains, which are in the 10,000-20,000 foot range.
2. China has huge reserves of coal. Coal can be liquified and as oil becomes more expensive this can become viable option.
The rate at which China is using its coal will burn out these reserves in around 85 years. The US has 215% of China's reserves but has 30% less production.
China can make her agriculture more efficient (even Japan with much higher density of population can produce most of Japan's grain). In northern China there are large tracks of land suitable for the wheat cultivation.
Northern China is home to the rapidly expanding Gobi desert.