As US-Iran war shows, China’s influence can’t secure its line to Gulf oil

China is becoming increasingly important to the Gulf’s economic future. Yet the Gulf remains capable of disrupting China’s own.

That is the contradiction exposed by the US-Iran war. Beijing’s importance as an energy customer, investor and technology partner has grown, but its ability to guarantee the maritime routes connecting the Middle East to East Asia remains limited.

The next contest in global energy will concern not only who produces and consumes it, but who can preserve access when...