China gets up to a fifth of its imported oil from
Iran and another 4 to 5% from
Venezuela, often through clandestine channels to skirt
United States sanctions — or at least it did before recent disruptions. US President
Donald Trump's move earlier this month to unseat Venezuela’s longtime leader,
Nicolas Maduro,
redirect its oil to the US and impose 25% tariffs on Iran-linked trade has raised serious questions about energy security in the world's second-largest economy.
Oil prices briefly spiked on fears that China’s discounted Iranian supplies could be hit, while experts warned that US seizures of Venezuela-linked oil tankers may further constrict flows.
