[Japanese Energy White Paper: The situation in the Middle East exposes the weaknesses of Japan’s energy system] On October 23, the Japanese government released an energy white paper for fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) on the 23rd. It pointed out that as the situation in the Middle East worsens, the vulnerability of Japan’s energy supply and demand structure has once again become prominent. The white paper points out that for a long time, Japan has relied on the Middle East for more than 90% of its crude oil imports. After the United States and Israel launched a military attack on Iran at the end of February this year, the navigation of the Strait of Hormuz, an important channel for global energy transportation, was blocked. The supply of crude oil and petroleum products faced uncertainty, and the circulation of some petroleum-related products such as naphtha was blocked. In order to ensure domestic energy supply, the Japanese government has taken measures since March to release oil reserves and increase alternative procurement from regions outside the Middle East. The white paper believes that these measures have helped Japan ensure its crude oil supply. However, at the same time, some petroleum-related products have experienced stockpiling due to market concerns about supply prospects, resulting in poor circulation and uneven supply distribution. The white paper believes that the energy crisis response mechanism Japan established in the decades after the oil crisis in the 1970s is no longer able to cope with new energy supply risks. (CCTV News)