China's oil price brake in Bab al-Mandab crisis may be released, pressuring Trump

Shipping disruptions in the Bab al-Mandab are pushing oil prices up, but China's strategic interventions—likely via demand management or reserve releases—have so far capped the rise. Beijing could remove this brake at any time, which would spike prices and complicate Trump's economic agenda. The exact mechanism of China's intervention is unconfirmed, and its future course is uncertain.