Sinopec Chairman Ma Yongsheng speaking at WGC
China’s critical gas position
China will play a huge role in driving gas demand, with its Qatar partnership crucial to this growth amid global structural challenges
Caution and confidence contrasted the gas outlooks from one of China’s leading LNG importers and a top supplier to the country at the World Gas Conference in Beijing in May. Sinopec Chairman Ma Yongsheng tipped China to play an outsize role in driving global gas demand growth but warned of geopolitical tensions and infrastructural challenges, while QatarEnergy CEO Saad Sherida al-Kaabi did not hold back in beating the drum for gas as the energy “backbone” of the global economy. “Gas, being the cleanest fossil fuel, is increasingly integrated with renewable energy and playing an irreplaceable role in the global energy transition,” Ma said in a keynote speech. He reiterated an existing Sinopec
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
