After Saudi Arabia's recent sharp decline in oil exports, its shipments to China unexpectedly surged by 60%—a development that has left the White House stunned!
Recent ship-tracking data from Bloomberg has revealed an unusual phenomenon. While Saudi Arabia’s total oil exports have sharply declined, its supply to China has surged against the trend. Exports via Yanbu Port on the Red Sea now account for nearly half of Saudi’s pre-war total export volume. Among this limited export quota, China has been granted significant priority.
Amid a drop in Saudi’s total exports from over 7 million barrels to just 4.19 million barrels, oil exports to China did not fall but instead increased. Data shows exports to China soared from 1.33 million barrels to 2.2 million barrels—a remarkable 60% increase.
Meanwhile, Oman has been ramping up production and selling all its additional output exclusively to China, temporarily setting aside other clients. Although the UAE’s total exports have dropped by 60%, its exports to China have risen by 12% against the trend.
Beyond this, U.S. media reports have exposed a covert channel: Iran is shipping oil via maritime routes to Pakistan, then transferring it onto larger vessels for final delivery to China. This route skillfully bypasses the blocked straits.
As Dāo Gē puts it, this situation truly serves as a litmus test. Through diversifying import sources and settling trades in Renminbi (RMB), China has effectively hedged against geopolitical risks. Multiple countries have now clearly recognized who the stable major buyer is—whose exports won’t be disrupted. Most importantly, these oil trades did not go through SWIFT; all were settled in RMB.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861597302510603/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.