Chinese Supertanker Routes Saudi Crude via Red Sea, Bypassing Hormuz

A cargo ship carrying imported crude oil docked at the crude oil terminal berth of Qingdao Port, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China on March 7, 2026. (Photo by YFP / CFoto / CFOTO via AFP)

The Kai Jing, a Very Large Crude Carrier operated by China Merchants Energy Shipping, passed through the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait on March 16 carrying 2.2 million barrels of Saudi crude—the first Chinese supertanker to bypass the Strait of Hormuz since its de facto closure on March 1.

The cargo is bound for Meizhouwan Port in Fujian province, with expected arrival in early April.

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by CGSP Staff

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