The breakdown in energy and fertilizer markets resulting from the war in the Middle East has been uncomfortable for China, but it’s been worse for smaller states. Disruptions to shipping and production in the Gulf have sharply reduced the availability of oil and natural gas, the primary ingredient in nitrogen-based fertilizers. Southeast Asia, heavily reliant […]
China’s Fertilizer Diplomacy in a Time of Energy Shock
Disruptions from the Iran war are squeezing Southeast Asia’s food and fuel supplies, giving Beijing an opening to recast itself as a stabilizing partner.
