EXCLUSIVE: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm held discussions with China’s top energy official in the days leading up to the Biden administration’s announcement that it would tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to address high gas prices in 2021.
These conversations between Granholm and China National Energy Administration Chairman Zhang Jianhua were previously undisclosed but were revealed in internal Energy Department calendars obtained by Americans for Public Trust (APT) and shared with Fox News Digital. They indicate that the Biden administration likely discussed the release of oil from the SPR with China before making a public announcement.
According to the calendars, Granholm had one-on-one conversations with Jianhua, a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party, on November 19 and November 21, 2021. On November 23, 2021, the White House announced the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the SPR, the largest release in U.S. history at the time.
APT Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland expressed concerns about the influence of Chinese officials on the Biden administration’s energy agenda and called for transparency regarding Chinese attempts to infiltrate U.S. energy policy and security.
The Department of Energy (DOE) stated that the meeting was part of its efforts to combat climate change, without providing details of the discussion.
As part of the November 2021 announcement, the White House mentioned releasing oil from the SPR in coordination with other major energy-consuming nations, including China. President Biden suggested that China might also take further action, while Granholm stated that China would make its own announcement.
Republican leaders have criticized China for increasing its oil reserves instead of releasing them after Biden and Granholm’s announcement. They argue that the SPR releases weakened U.S. national security and gave foreign adversaries greater geopolitical leverage. China’s crude oil inventories are now estimated at 950 million barrels, potentially making it the world’s largest stockpile.
The White House and Department of Energy have faced criticism for allowing SPR sales to flow to Chinese state-run energy companies. However, the White House defended itself, stating that it is legally required to sell SPR oil to the highest bidder.
The Biden administration has ordered the release of approximately 260 million barrels of oil from the SPR to combat high fuel prices. In March 2022, a draw-down of a million barrels per day was announced after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted global energy markets. The current level of the SPR is about 346.8 million barrels, the lowest since August 1983 and 43% lower than its level prior to the November 2021 release.
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