Top sponsor of war against Ukraine purchases record volume of Russian oil

According to China's General Administration of Customs, the volume of deliveries from Russia, including pipeline and seaborne supplies, amounted to 108.5 million tons, which is equivalent to 2.17 million barrels per day.

Reuters reports that seaborne supplies from Russia were supported by demand from both independent refineries and large state-owned oil companies, as well as by government mandate to stockpile.

Saudi Arabia, the largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Export Countries (OPEC), supplied 78.64 million tons, or about 1.57 million barrels per day, which is less than the 2023 level of 1.72 million barrels per day.

For most of 2024, China's imports of Saudi crude oil were limited by the growing share of cheaper oil from Russia and Iran due to higher prices. Saudi Arabia's market share recovered in the fourth quarter after a sharp price drop by the OPEC leader and reduced supplies from Iran.

China, the world's largest crude oil buyer, reduced its total crude oil imports by 1.9% last year, marking the first annual decline, excluding the pandemic-induced falls, as sluggish economic growth and peak fuel demand reduced purchases.

Hostile China

In September 2024, Jens Stoltenberg, who was NATO Secretary General at the time, stated that China had become a decisive enabler of Russia's war against Ukraine. "China is the one that enables production of many of the weapons that Russia uses," said Stoltenberg.

Beijing has provided diplomatic and economic support to Russia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

According to a survey by the Razumkov Center, most Ukrainians consider China to be an enemy country. The worst attitude is held towards Russia and its allies - Iran, Belarus, and North Korea.