Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the biggest supplier of oil to China, according to UK broadsheet, The Guardian.
Amid deteriorating relations with European customers, Russia increased its oil exports to China by 21% in May, to 3.92mn tonnes. Saudi Arabian exports to China totalled 3.05m tonnes during the same period.
As western sanctions continue to take their toll on the Russian economy, Moscow is looking to increase its trade with China and India, as well as finding new markets for its oil. Russian exports to China have more than doubled since 2010, according to analysis by the Financial Times.