In the space of three months in 2026, President Trump made three precise moves on the global chessboard, establishing control over China's most important oil sources and supply routes:
January: American operation in Venezuela, which has the largest oil reserves in the world and is one of China's main oil suppliers. Venezuela is lost to China.
March: War with Iran and American control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 25% of global oil traffic passes. Iran, one of the key oil exporters to China, was cut off from its customers.
April: The US and Indonesia signed a defense agreement allowing Washington to control the Strait of Malacca, the world's busiest shipping lane through which approximately 80% of China's oil imports pass.
Added to this is the Memorandum of Understanding signed in April 2025 between the United States and Panama, according to which the United States will deploy military bases along the Panama Canal. At the same time, Panama, with the support of the Trump administration, abandoned China's Belt and Road Initiative and forced Chinese companies to leave the Canal Zone.