China Stockpiled Oil, and Now It Could Dominate the Energy Landscape

The New York Times ^ | Sept. 17, 2026Updated 12:10 p.m. ET | Rebecca F. Elliott and Keith Bradsher

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The war with Iran revealed just how much influence the world’s biggest oil importer has over prices and other countries’ supplies of jet fuel, gasoline and diesel.

One of the most important lessons from the war with Iran is one that few saw coming.

The conflict has made clear that China, which has long been highly vulnerable to oil supply shocks, has managed to transform that weakness into a surprising source of geopolitical power. The country made that big shift by stockpiling huge amounts of oil, building extra oil refining capacity and investing in coal and other alternatives. And in the early months of the war, it flexed that power by cutting off supplies of jet fuel, gasoline and diesel to neighboring countries.

That has big implications for the global energy industry, where oil producers like Saudi Arabia and the United States — not importers like China — have traditionally held most of the cards.

Already dominant in solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles, China now appears to have an unparalleled position across the energy landscape. As a result, the threat that a foreign power would restrict the country’s access to oil may no longer deter leaders in Beijing from taking aggressive steps like invading or blockading Taiwan, former U.S. officials said.

“If they come to feel that in this domain, they are less vulnerable than they and many others may have assessed previously, that is a profound and important shift in one of the key inputs to how China makes decisions about its global strategy,” said Julian Gewirtz, a former White House and State Department official who worked on China issues in the Biden administration.

China’s massive oil reserves and refining capacity, paired with its ability to run its economy on a variety of energy sources, allowed the country...

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TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: china; energystrategy; nytimes; oil; refineries; refining; spr; stockpiles; theslimes

[wardamneagle]

I call bullshit !

[ComputerGuy]

Dominate the energy landscape. I think not. Consider the source.

[FlipWilson]

Stockpiles aren’t natural resources.

[ClearCase_guy]

What crap.

[Paul R.]

Uh, no. China’s oil reserves are running low. Moreover, “oil” is not just fuel. It’s plastics and asphalt and...

[escapefromboston]

This seems like wishful thinking

[Pox]

LOL! NYT fawning over the CCP yet again

And exactly how much oil Does China produce? That is key, not stockpiles that can be easily replenished as long as you are producing.

[Jane Long]

Yep.

NY Slimes.

[jacknhoo]

The U.S. could convert at any time it refineries to refine sweet crude. Right now we don’t do it because it’s more profitable not too. It’s an expensive conversion which takes 3 years to do on a normal and not urgent schedule. But unlike China. We can be wholly energy independent in a year and half probably.

[goodnesswins]

“If they come to feel that in this domain, they are less vulnerable than they and many others may have assessed previously, that is a profound and important shift in one of the key inputs to how China makes decisions about its global strategy,” said Julian Gewirtz, a former White House and State Department official who worked on China issues in the Biden administration."

[for-q-clinton]

They get their oil from Iran and basement prices. Problem is they can’t get that oil during an embargo. You need to produce OIL in order to control it.

[Da Coyote]

Let’s be serious and rename that wretched first-grade paper “The New China Times”.

[Repeal The 17th]

Laughable !

[Steely Tom]

How many articles like this have they published?

How many times have we been told that the dollar would lose its position as the world’s reserve currency?

[Jonty30]

If it did stockpile oil, it will have to use it up.
They created a short-term solution only.

[rdl6989]

Yeah, this story reeks of it.

[wild74]

I don’t know where the New York Times get their fine thinkers the stockpiling it’s not the same as having all own your property or in your country It will run out dislike the Strategic Petroleum Reserve We’ll run out if you keep using it That doesn’t make you a energy giant You’re still beholden to the countries that sell the oil

[HYPOCRACY]

Getting oil at a 60% discount from Iran and Venezuela let them stockpile a bunch. In a few months when they have to pay full price, they will rule the world!

[ridesthemiles]

SAME HERE