China keeps an anxious eye on ‘Malacca Dilemma’ amid roiling Hormuz crisis
Beijing may have diversified its energy imports, but the maritime choke point at the Strait of Malacca is even more vital to its interests than the Strait of Hormuz.
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The Strait of Malacca is a critical choke point for China, with about 80 per cent of the Asian giant’s oil imports transiting the waterway.
PHOTO: EPA
BEIJING – When the US-Israel-Iran war that started in February triggered a near-total shutdown of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, China – the world’s largest crude importer – credited years of planning for the limited impact on its energy security.
In March, Chinese social media account Yuyuan Tantian said that China now sources crude oil from 49 countries, with “highly diversified” energy transport corridors, including those that go through Russia, Kazakhstan and Myanmar.
