China's oil loans run into trouble
China extended much credit to secure oil supplies. Now it needs borrowers to start repaying
China's policy banks are caught in a cleft stick as some of their massive loans to boost offshore oil flows run into trouble because of political and economic problems in recipient countries. In the wake of the collapse in crude prices, lenders such as China Development Bank (CDB) and Exim-Bank are pouring good money after bad. In its decade-long efforts to mitigate domestic disruptions in the supply of crude with higher flows from abroad, Beijing has pursued two different investment techniques. In one, the deep-pocketed policy banks have swapped infrastructure-targeted debt in exchange for exports of crude back to China, almost exclusively by those nations' state-owned producers. In the oth
Also in this section
28 April 2026
Oil traders warning of $200/bl oil are wrong, and the market should be wary of proclamations that the impact of the oil shortage has only begun to be felt and a that a ‘harsh adjustment’ is coming—even for industrialised nations
28 April 2026
Restoring supply from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq involves complexities far beyond simply adjusting operational controls
28 April 2026
Datacentres will guzzle power at a ferocious rate, but the impact on wider energy markets will be far more complex than previously thought
28 April 2026
The key energy player faces balancing regional routes, political complexities, and creating a clear strategic vision for energy security






