State-controlled giants PetroChina and Sinopec are leading the push, scouting suppliers capable of delivering volumes before 2030 for at least a decade. The urgency follows a dramatic decline in imports from Qatar, China's primary supplier, which plummeted to roughly 100,000 tons in the second quarter of this year. This represents a staggering drop from the 4.7 million tons imported during the same period in 2023, as regional hostilities hampered Qatari facilities and transit routes.

While Beijing remains tied to existing binding contracts and minority stakes in Qatari expansion projects, it is effectively hedging against further supply shocks. Canada has emerged as a potential partner, as Ottawa looks to pivot its own exports toward Asia to reduce reliance on the United States. However, the search is complicated by ongoing trade tensions; Chinese leadership is wary of replacing Gulf dependence with an over-reliance on U.S. volumes, particularly given the unpredictable tariff landscape under Donald Trump’s administration.