China on Wednesday publicly dangled the promise of stable energy and resource security for Taiwan under Beijing’s rule, framing “peaceful reunification” as a shield against the global energy turbulence caused by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters in Beijing that Taiwan compatriots would enjoy “better protection of energy and resource security with a strong motherland as its backing” if the island accepted Beijing’s sovereignty.
“We are willing to provide Taiwan compatriots with stable and reliable energy and resource security, so that they may live better lives,” Chen said, directly linking the offer to Taiwan’s current vulnerability amid the Middle East crisis.
Taiwan, which sources no energy from mainland China and previously received about one-third of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, has repeatedly rejected Beijing’s “one country, two systems” model. President Lai Ching-te, speaking at a Democratic Progressive Party meeting in Taipei on the same day, reiterated that supplies for March and April are secured and that increased U.S. LNG imports will begin in June.
“Taiwan has adopted a diversified and multi-source strategic approach to energy imports,” Lai said in a party statement.
Taipei has confirmed alternative cargoes from the United States — its primary international backer — and other suppliers to cover the shortfall from disrupted Qatari volumes.
Global Energy Shock and Taiwan’s Vulnerability
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global seaborne oil and a comparable share of LNG transits, has been effectively closed to most international traffic since early March due to Iranian threats to attack vessels following U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Brent crude has fluctuated above $100 per barrel in recent sessions, with prices remaining highly volatile.
Qatar — the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after the United States — has been a key supplier to Taiwan. The disruption has forced Taipei to accelerate diversification efforts already underway due to geopolitical risks and long-term energy security planning.
China, the world’s largest oil importer, has itself moved to protect domestic supplies by banning fuel exports until at least the end of March, sources told Reuters last week. The export curb — affecting $22 billion worth of product shipments in 2025 — reflects Beijing’s priority to safeguard internal stability amid global price spikes and supply uncertainty.
Chen Binhua’s comments are part of a long-standing Chinese campaign to portray “reunification” as economically and strategically beneficial for Taiwan. Beijing has previously highlighted potential advantages in economic integration, infrastructure access, and resource security, while insisting the island must be governed by “patriots” loyal to the Communist Party. No major Taiwanese political party supports unification under China’s terms.
The timing of the energy-security offer coincides with:
- The ongoing Middle East conflict has driven up global energy costs and exposed import-dependent economies.
- Taiwan’s increasing reliance on U.S. LNG to offset Qatar’s shortfalls reinforces the island’s strategic alignment with Washington.
- President Trump’s planned late-March visit to Beijing, where energy security, trade imbalances, and Taiwan are expected to feature prominently.
Taiwan has consistently maintained that only its 23 million people can decide the island’s future. Lai’s administration has accelerated energy diversification, including long-term U.S. LNG contracts and expanded renewable capacity, while rejecting Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
The Hormuz closure and sustained high oil prices continue to pressure global markets. Asian importers like India, Japan, and South Korea face acute risks, with India, reliant on Middle East crude for 85% of its needs, seeing rupee pressure and inflation concerns. China’s domestic production gains and massive onshore stockpiles (1.2 billion barrels, enough for 3–4 months) provide a buffer, but prolonged disruption could still feed through to industrial costs and consumer prices.
The Taiwan military maneuvers, with recent deployments of 26 warplanes and 7 warships encircling the island, are widely interpreted as signaling that any attempt to choke China’s energy lifelines could trigger retaliation targeting Taiwan’s semiconductor industry (TSMC supplies over 60% of the world’s advanced chips), potentially cratering U.S. tech valuations and the broader global economy.
Against the backdrop of lingering U.S.-Iran war, China’s energy-security pitch to Taiwan serves both as propaganda and strategic messaging: Beijing is positioning itself as a reliable partner in a volatile world while reminding Taipei — and Washington — of the island’s exposure to supply-chain and energy risks. It is also projecting confidence in its domestic buffers while using the crisis to advance its long-standing unification narrative.
