China: Russian oil imports up 55% year on year

Inspection of a tanker carrying imported crude oil at the port of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province, May 9, 2022. AFP - STR

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Oil-hungry China increased its imports of Russian oil by more than 50% last month, according to customs information.

Despite Western sanctions imposed on Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine four months ago, black gold is once again flowing freely in Russia.

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China imported almost eight and a half million tons of Russian oil in May 2022. This is three million tons more than the same period last year.

Russia is now China's largest exporter of black gold, behind Saudi Arabia.

It must be said that Beijing refuses to condemn Moscow's war. 

Last week, President Xi Jinping even promised Vladimir Putin China's support for Russian " 

sovereignty and security

".

Beijing is accused of "

providing diplomatic cover for Moscow

", weakening Western sanctions and arms sales to Ukraine.

For its part, the Kremlin wants to intensify economic cooperation between the two countries.

Weighed down by Western sanctions, Moscow is isolated and deprived of its main source of income.

He is looking for new markets and suppliers to replace the big foreign companies that have left Russia since the beginning of the war.

Other Asian countries as well as

India have also increased their imports of Russian hydrocarbons

.

India has gobbled up nearly 60 million barrels of Russian fuel so far this year, while it only consumed 12 million barrels in all of 2021.

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Also to listen: 

The return of geopolitics in the energy game

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  • Oil

  • China

  • Russia

  • Xi Jinping

  • Ukraine