US-China geopolitical rivalry intensifies maritime tensions in Strait of Hormuz amid global energy trade instability
Original framing: “US blockade of Strait of Hormuz ratchets up tensions with China ahead of Trump visit to Beijing” — The Conversation - Global
The piece situates the current crisis within a lineage of post‑colonial oil concessions, Cold‑War power plays, and the 1970s energy crises that entrenched Western‑centric security doctrines. It links the structural dependency on Hormuz to historic trade regimes that extracted wealth from the Global South while preserving Western hegemony. This deep temporal framing underscores how past arrangements continue to shape present geopolitics.
The intensifying US‑China rivalry over the Strait of Hormuz is rooted in historic, post‑colonial energy structures that marginalise indigenous and local voices while projecting a binary great‑power narrative.
By weaving together indigenous stewardship, cross‑cultural perspectives, scientific data, and artistic‑spiritual meanings, we see the chokepoint as a contested cultural artery rather than a mere strategic asset. The trickster inversion of a freedom‑advocating power imposing a blockade exposes the absurdity of zero‑sum logic, urging a shift toward inclusive governance, equitable revenue sharing, and a future powered by renewable energy and collaborative science.