EnergyBuildup in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia raises concerns over impact on minoritiesDriverless trucks carry coal at a mine in Hulunbuir, in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in May 2025. Conversion of coal to gas and chemicals is seen as a way to foster higher-value industries in inland regions. (China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)NITHIN COCAApril 21, 2026 13:24 JSTOSAKA -- Far from the metropolises of its eastern coast, China is betting on coal as a core element of its energy and feedstock security, a gamble that looks shrewder than ever as the Iran war wreaks havoc on the global oil and gas trade.