Xi Calls for New Energy System as Mideast War Disrupts Supplies

(MENAFN) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for an urgent acceleration of planning and construction of a new national energy system, as the widening Middle East war continues to rattle global energy supplies and threaten key import routes.

Xi underscored the strategic importance of hydropower development, ecological safeguards, and the careful expansion of nuclear power, a state broadcaster reported. In pointed remarks on energy policy, he said: "Our pioneering development of wind and solar power has now proven to be forward-thinking. At the same time, coal-fired power remains the foundation of our energy and should continue to play a supporting role," reinforcing China's stated commitment to a clean and low-carbon development path.

Xi further declared that "A greener, more diversified, and resilient new energy system will provide a strong guarantee for China's energy security and economic development" — a message widely read as a direct response to mounting supply vulnerabilities.

China maintains a strategic crude reserve of 1.3 billion barrels — sufficient to cover several months of demand — alongside a diversified energy mix spanning nuclear, solar, wind, and domestically mined coal. Nevertheless, the country sourced 35% of its energy from Gulf states in 2024, at a cost of $413 billion in imports, underscoring the stakes of ongoing disruptions in the region.

Tensions have spiraled since Washington and Tel Aviv launched a joint offensive against Tehran on Feb. 28, resulting in more than 1,340 deaths including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with sustained strikes on Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states housing US forces, while choking traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway through which three Chinese vessels have recently transited.

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