Oil storage tanks in China. Days after the Strait of Hormuz was closed, China banned oil-product exports, squeezing Asian countries that rely on its refineries for jet fuel, gasoline and diesel. | AFP-JIJI

HONG KONG – As the war in Iran drags on, China has deepened its influence with fuel-starved neighbors, offering to ease shortages while pushing its renewable energy technology.

In the days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran and the Strait of Hormuz was closed, China banned oil-product exports, squeezing Asian countries that rely on its refineries for jet fuel, gasoline and diesel.

Across Asia, governments are petitioning Beijing to blunt the war’s impact. Unlike the rest of the region, China is dealing from a position of strength.…