China's experience and technology in alternative energy can help enhance energy security in Asia, experts say, as supply disruptions triggered by the United States and Israel's strikes on Iran have exposed the region's vulnerability.

"Energy crisis is not an energy crisis at all. It is a world economic crisis and how this plays out is very important," said Mohd Faiz Abdullah, executive chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia.

This is where China can come in with its advanced research and development to further advocate for the implementation of alternative energy resources, Faiz said on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026, held last week in Hainan province.

"China can set this example that every nation has to be very careful about the way it looks at energy," Faiz told China Daily.

Li Xing, a Yunshan Leading Scholar and professor at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies and an adjunct professor of politics and society at Aalborg University in Denmark, echoed Faiz.

Li said the ongoing energy crisis has created more opportunities for China and other Asian countries to deepen their energy cooperation.

"Asian countries should step up their cooperation with China to address infrastructure challenges in renewable energy," Li told China Daily. "In this way, they will not need to rely so heavily on oil imports from the Middle East."

Asia is highly dependent on oil and gas imports from the Middle East.

In 2025, almost 90 percent of the total liquefied natural gas volumes exported via the Strait of Hormuz, which is now effectively closed amid the ongoing conflict, were destined for the Asian market, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.

The amount accounted for more than a quarter of Asia's total LNG imports.

"Many countries are anxious about the situation, but China is not worried. Why? Because it had already made the strategic turn (toward renewable energy) more than 10 years ago," said Li.

Li noted examples such as wind power, in which China has ranked first worldwide for 15 consecutive years in terms of installed wind power capacity.

Cooperation in new energy in Asia was also among the key topics discussed at this year's forum.

In a panel session on Friday, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said the crisis can be viewed as an opportunity to build energy resilience and reduce exposure to the volatility of fossil fuels.

She highlighted China's strong position to contribute, including providing opportunities and linkages with the business community, as well as boosting economic development and employment through clean energy deployment.

However, considering the different development stages among Asian countries, especially the smaller ones, Alisjahbana said it is important to ensure that diversification and regional cooperation help bridge the gap.

Gao Haichun, co-chair of Trina Solar Co in Jiangsu province, said China is actively setting an example as a country where renewable energy is the core, as almost all its new electricity demand each year is now met by renewable energy.

Using the old Chinese saying, "It is better to teach a person how to fish than to give them fish", Gao said renewable energy is about teaching how to fish, given that facilities such as solar power stations can operate for over 30 years. This will not only enable energy self-sufficiency for a country, but also for a city, an industrial park or even a household.

"If we want to develop renewable energy, especially for Asia, we must form closer cooperation," she said.

kelly@chinadailyapac.com