Why Green Energy Will Be the Big Winner of the Iran Crisis

China’s $180 billion clean tech push is reshaping the Global South, with Indonesia a key test of who controls new green industries.
File image of a worker cleaning solar panels installed on the roof of the traditional Gedhe market in Klaten, Central Java. China’s $180 billion clean tech push is reshaping the Global South, with Indonesia a key test of who controls new green industries. (Photo: DEVI RAHMAN / AFP)

Remember “no blood for oil”? Decades ago, the slogan emblematized opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Its logic subsequently shifted as the United States experienced a gas and oil revolution thanks to fracking. 

It has cycled back into relevance following the Trump administration’s invasion of Venezuela and the seizure of its oil, which, despite its carnivalesque tone, left at least 80 people dead. The Iran war has now proven that oil and gas remain at the heart of the global economy. This dependence now represents a massive vulnerability.  

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Cobus van Staden

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2
Uncertainty Roils Minerals Markets
3 Chinese Scholars See Russia’s Venezuela Strategy as a Model of Hybrid Power Projection in the U.S.’ Backyard
4 India Forced to Pay Russia in Yuan, Handing China an Unexpected Win
5 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans
6 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C

You Might Like

An Iranian flag is mounted on a damaged car following a strike on a police station, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS

China Prioritizes Energy and Diplomacy Over Iran Support

By Peter CATTERALL China has expressed its anger over Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran, but, despite hits to its oil imports, will not risk its interests by confronting Washington and helping its long-standing ...

3 Reasons China Will Ignore Donald Trump’s Demand to Contribute Forces to Re-Open Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump on Sunday called on China and several European nations to join a U.S.-led military coalition aimed at forcing Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that carries ...

The End of the Oil Order Is Here and China Is Already Winning

The Iran war has been a real education in how global orders change. The system built on the immutable logic of oil and gas trade seemed as solid as a continent. Now it ...

Environmentalists: China Should Invest More in Renewable Energy Rather Than the East African Crude Oil Pipeline

Even as Uganda is seeking $1.8 billion for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), some Ugandan environmentalists are expressing displeasure with China’s involvement with the project. Their frustration stems from

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP
Detected IP: ...