The U.S.-Iran war highlights the underappreciated national security benefits of China’s electrostate strategy.
News headlines regularly announce that China has made a wise choice in pursuing clean energy technologies and weaning itself off oil and gas—a trend that has only accelerated with the U.S.-Iran war. These headlines, which emphasize China’s limited exposure to the greatly diminished supply of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, are true. But the news analysis has missed two key aspects of China’s “electrostate” victory over the “petrostate” status that the United States remains wedded to—and indeed has doubled down on under the Trump administration.
The first story that commentators have missed is that both countries’ energy strategies are about more than just resources—they are about energy markets.
The second overlooked story is about the national security advantages and vulnerabilities that accompany each state’s strategic choice.