Recently, Chinese state-owned iron ore traders are trying to showcase their influence by launching a series of criticisms against global mining giant BHP. This move is reminiscent of past attempts by Chinese state-owned oil companies to challenge international oil giants such as Saudi Arabia.

However, historical experience shows that this strategy has not achieved substantial results in the oil sector. So, will the outcome be different in the iron ore industry? Industry experts generally hold a skeptical attitude.

As an important variety of global bulk commodity trading, iron ore has long been dominated by a few multinational mining companies. As the world's largest consumer of iron ore, China has always hoped to gain more say in pricing power.

Nevertheless, changing the deeply entrenched international commodity trading landscape is no easy task. It remains to be seen whether the strong stance of Chinese traders can shake the existing market structure. Regardless of the outcome, this event highlights the complexity of global resource competition and the ongoing strategic resource game among countries.