Where Does China Buy Its Oil?

Africa’s share of China’s oil imports has been steadily declining over the past 15 years but the continent nonetheless remains Beijing’s second-largest source of crude after the Persian Gulf.

In 2008, according to George Washington University China-Africa scholar David Shinn, China imported close to 30% of its oil from Angola, the Republic of Congo and Sudan. Today, that figure is down to just 18%.

Interestingly, this chart does not include the U.S. which is fast becoming one of China’s largest suppliers of both oil and liquified natural gas.

Read more on this story on the Israel Defense website.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest news and analysis from Africa, Asia, and across the Global South.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China’s relations across the Global South.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3 From J-10C to Kaan? Indonesia’s Fighter Jet Deal With Turkey Shocks Chinese Military Fans
4
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
5
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
6
Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms

You Might Like

Reality Check: Africa is an Important Source of Oil for China, But Not THAT Important

With this week’s warning from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that China’s growing presence in key regions like the Middle East, Africa, and even Europe presents a new challenge for the western military alliance, ...

15-Years Ago Three African Countries Were Among China’s Top Oil Suppliers, Today Only One’s Left

Amid the ongoing discussions surrounding African debt restructuring and the proposed multibillion-dollar China-Iran comprehensive partnership agreement, China’s oil procurement is a through-line that binds some of these disparate issues together. After ...

African Oil Exports to China Plunge in July

China’s crude oil imports from Africa fell sharply last month with demand expected to remain flat through the third quarter. Overall, shipments from African exporting countries fell 5.1% from June and but plummeted ...

Chinese Oil Buying in Africa Plunges Amid Shift to Suppliers in Russia, Persian Gulf

Chinese oil imports from African countries dropped 22.6% year-on-year in the January-September period, highlighting a decade-long transition away from the continent to suppliers in Russia, the Persian Gulf and Brazil. ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP