Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani completed a two-day visit to China as Beijing and Doha agreed to expand cooperation in energy, investment and advanced technologies and increase coordination to help restore regional peace and stability.
The meetings also focused on Qatar’s efforts to mediate between Tehran and Washington amid the continuing US-Israeli war on Iran and disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Energy ties raise the stakes
China is Qatar’s largest trading partner, while Qatar is China’s second-largest source of liquefied natural gas. Chinese state-owned energy companies CNPC and Sinopec have also taken stakes in Qatar’s North Field gas expansion.
The Strait of Hormuz is central to both countries’ interests because around one-fifth of global oil and LNG normally passes through it. Disruption to shipping has increased pressure on Qatar, one of the world’s biggest LNG exporters, and China, the world’s largest crude-oil importer. Qatar has told China it would prioritise its energy supply despite the difficulties. For additional context, see “What the latest US-Iran tanker attacks mean for the Strait of Hormuz”.
Key figures
- $23.8bn: China-Qatar bilateral trade last year.
- 19.4 million tonnes: Qatar’s LNG exports to China in 2025.
- 27 years: Length of QatarEnergy’s LNG supply agreements with CNPC and Sinopec.
- 520: Chinese companies operating in Qatar, according to Invest Qatar.
Beijing and Doha do not take the same line on Tehran
China has backed Qatar’s mediation efforts and called for dialogue and negotiations, while largely avoiding direct criticism of Tehran’s attacks or its role in disrupting shipping through the strait. Chinese officials have instead placed primary responsibility for the conflict on the United States and Israel and have continued to oppose unilateral sanctions against Iran.
Qatar has publicly condemned attacks by Tehran on its territory and neighbouring Gulf states. It is continuing to facilitate dialogue despite frustration over failed or stalled attempts to resolve the crisis. Closer coordination with Beijing could bring another influential actor into those efforts because China maintains strong economic and political ties with Tehran. A related part of this story is covered in “What is really moving through the Strait of Hormuz?”.
A broader partnership, not a replacement for Washington
Qatar’s security relationship with Washington remains significant. Qatar hosts Al Udeid, the largest US military base in the Middle East, and called for stronger security ties with Washington after Iran fired two ballistic missiles at Qatar on March 3. One missile was intercepted and the other struck Al Udeid without causing casualties.
China is not seeking to replace the United States as Qatar’s security guarantor, according to Zoon Ahmed Khan, a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing. Beijing is positioning itself as a political and economic actor while the region seeks additional options, but it has shown little appetite for using its leverage to put significant pressure on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The development of this issue can be followed in “Iran’s Hormuz plan: proposed boundaries, routes and enforcement”.
Beyond the immediate crisis, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for deeper cooperation in traditional and renewable energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence and finance. Al Thani highlighted high technology and advanced manufacturing. Invest Qatar says Chinese investment projects have generated more than $3bn and created more than 3,200 jobs in the past decade.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.