The war in Iran and ensuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the risks of over-reliance on the Persian Gulf for oil, turning Beijing’s Mediterranean infrastructure plans from long-term goals into urgent strategic necessities.
From Algerian oilfields to Moroccan battery factories and Egypt’s industrial base, China might now fast-track these projects to create a Mediterranean hub for a green-energy supply chain, observers said.
Beijing aims to create a strategic backup that protects its economy from future energy disruptions.
In Algeria, a major Belt and Road Initiative partner with one of Africa’s biggest Chinese expatriate communities, Chinese state-owned firms manage multibillion-dollar infrastructure and energy portfolios.
These include a long-standing production-sharing partnership between Sonatrach and Sinopec, as well as the US$437 million naphtha processing unit at the Arzew refinery in the country’s northwest.
Up the coast, the proposed US$4.7 billion El Hamdania megaport in Cherchell, originally developed by China State Construction Engineering and China Harbour, is meant to anchor Beijing’s maritime strategy in the Maghreb.
