China retains a bilateral and regional cooperation approach or a geopolitical strategy to secure its energy security, while it seeks to embrace global energy governance and more actively participate in global climate change negotiations. It has also been focusing on developing clean and renewable energy since early in the 21st century. China’s new Belt and Road initiative contributes to a 2.0 version of its current geopolitical strategy to secure its energy supply. Although China’s emphasis on energy security still corresponds to its geopolitical strategy, its weak participation in global energy governance is due to the fragmented global energy governance system that it sees as neither authoritative nor credible, as well as to the lack of willingness or impetus for its own domestic energy institutions to join the system. Taking into account the difficulties and potential of current global energy governance, this article suggests it is reasonable to seek a limited goal for coordinating regimes instead of creating coercive institutions in this field. Attainable goals in the near future should focus on promoting a transparent international market and establishing data-sharing mechanisms between governments and energy intergovernmental organizations and between producers and consumers. There should be emphasis on climate change and clean energy governance under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Group of 20 (G20) of  should play an increasingly significant role in global energy governance. China, with its positive attitude and active participation in the G20 and as host of the G20 summit in 2016, should participate more actively, perhaps even playing a leading role in global energy governance under the G20 framework.