China looks to become LNG trading hub
Crucial role of gas means country is laying the foundations to control physical and trading supply chains
China’s LNG market—poised to be the world’s biggest for the second year running and continue growing for at least another decade—is taking concrete steps to position itself as an important transshipment and trade epicentre for LNG commerce. Success would potentially grant China an edge in the competition to develop an Asian LNG trading hub along the lines of Europe’s NBP or TTF. At the heart of the strategy are healthy prospects for China’s gas market that should ensure plenty of LNG flowing into the country, and the development of a competitive industry chain through the buildout of both physical and trading infrastructure. China is on track this year to consolidate its status as the top LN
Also in this section
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
3 March 2026
The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes marks the most serious escalation in the region in decades and a bigger potential threat to the oil market than the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis
2 March 2026
A potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalating US-Iran conflict risks disrupting Qatari LNG exports that underpin global gas markets, exposing Asia and other markets to sharp price spikes, cargo shortages and renewed reliance on dirtier fuels






