China Uses Energy Leverage to Push Taiwan Toward Political Union

China continues to propose the "one country, two systems" model as a bargaining chip in a potential reunification with Taiwan, and is using the energy crisis triggered by the Middle East war to lure its smaller neighbor. Iranian strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex have triggered a major disruption in global LNG flows, forcing a shutdown of exports from one of the world’s largest suppliers and removing up to 20% of global LNG supply from the market. Last year, CPC signed a letter of intent to in and purchase 20 million metric tons per year from the Alaska LNG project, making Taiwan the first Asian country to back the $44-billion megaproject.

Author: Alex Kimani

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