China Has Demanded That Iran Not Interfere With Qatari LNG Supplies

Beijing is taking an important trump card out of Tehran's hands.

China is heavily dependent on liquefied natural gas and oil supplies from the Gulf. What makes it particularly vulnerable is its 30% dependence on QatarEnergy for LNG imports. Chinese officials are therefore urging Iranian officials not to strike major energy exporters such as Qatar, Bloomberg reported, citing top executives at Chinese state-owned energy companies.

Also, they said, Beijing is asking that oil and LNG tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz not be attacked or blocked so as not to interfere with energy supplies. So far, at least five commercial ships are known to have been damaged by Iranian fire. Shipping in the strait has virtually stopped.

Iran will "incinerate" all foreign vessels that try to pass through it, said Ibrahim Jabari, advisor to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Tehran is also ready to "hit all oil pipelines in the region" to stop oil exports from the Middle East, he said. The Strait of Hormuz remains open to civilian shipping despite the IRGC's claims, U.S. Central Command insists. Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported, citing its findings: "Iran is not patrolling the strait, and so far there is no sign of mines. 80% of their oil goes to China. Mining the strait would damage Iran and its key ally."

Iran is far more dependent on China, which almost single-handedly buys sub-sanctioned oil from it, than China is on Iran. However, Chinese refiners buy large volumes of oil from other producers in the Persian Gulf. And Monday's complete shutdown of Qatar's Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas plant, the first in its 30 years of operation, could force China to seek LNG from other producers.

QatarEnergy holds about 20 percent of the global LNG market.

"China calls on all parties to immediately cease military operations, avoid escalation of tensions and ensure the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

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