Russia was China’s largest supplier of crude oil for the first time on record in May, as Moscow looks beyond Europe for customers and grows itsties in the east.

随着莫斯科在欧洲以外寻找客户并加强与东方国家的关系，今年5月，俄罗斯首次成为有记录以来中国最大的原油供应国。

The country It leapfrogged Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, sending almost 930,000 barrels a day to China, up 21 per cent since April, according to customs data published yesterday.

昨日公布的中国海关数据显示，俄罗斯超过了世界最大石油出口国——沙特阿拉伯，每日向中国输送近93万桶原油，5月较4月增加了21%。

Saudi Arabia dropped from the top spot to number three, below even Angola, with sales falling to 722,000 b/d, down almost 43 per cent from the month before.

沙特则从榜首跌至第三（甚至低于安哥拉），对华出口量下降至每日72.2万桶，比上月减少近43%。

Sino-Russian ties have warmed as sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine have strained Moscow’s relations with the west.

乌克兰冲突引发的对俄制裁，加剧了莫斯科与西方关系紧张，中俄关系得到升温。

Analysts¹ said the data were the result of a string of oil-for-loan deals that China, which is in the process of overtaking the US as the world’s biggest importer of crude, has signed with Russian oil companies including state-backed Rosneft.

分析师表示，这些数据是中国与包括受国家支持的俄罗斯石油公司(Rosneft)在内的俄油企签署的一系列石油换贷款协议的结果。中国正在超越美国，成为世界最大的石油进口国。

“Russian imports are likely to stay high over the next several years as these long-term crude supply contracts kick in,” said Amrita Sen, head of oil research at Energy Aspects in London.

伦敦咨询机构Energy Aspects石油研究负责人阿姆里塔?森(Amrita Sen)说：“随着这些长期原油供应合同的履行，未来几年来自俄罗斯的进口很可能继续保持高位。”

“By our records, which started in 2007, this is the first time Russia is China’s top crude supplier,” she added.

“根据我们的记录，这是俄罗斯首次成为中国最大的原油供应国，我们的记录始于2007年。”她补充说。

The data can be volatile² and still show Saudi Arabia as a major supplier to China — the kingdom’s April exports were the highest in three years. But the latest import numbers illustrate³ how Russia, the largest exporter outside the Opec cartel, is gaining ground.

这些数据可能有所波动，但沙特仍是中国的主要石油供应国——该国4月的出口量为三年来的最高水平。但最新的进口数据说明俄罗斯正在迎头赶上。俄罗斯是欧佩克(OPEC)之外的最大的石油出口国。

Russian exports to China have more than doubled since 2010. The figures also show how China is importing more from countries where it can bring its financial muscle into the equation.

2010年以来，俄对华的石油出口量增加了超过一倍。这些数据也表明，中国正在从那些可以将其财政实力转化为谈判筹码的国家进口更多石油。

Russia, which is the world’s largest oil producer, has sought to diversify⁴ its export market away from Europe. , particularly as US and EU sanctions have intensified⁵ hostilities⁶.

作为世界主要石油生产国，俄已在寻求使自己的出口市场多元化，以摆脱对欧洲的依赖，尤其是在美国和欧盟的制裁加剧了对抗之后。

Its growing presence will only put pressure on Saudi Arabia and other Opec oil producers that are battling to secure long term customers and market share, analysts said.

分析师表示，俄日益增加的出口只会给沙特及其他欧佩克产油国增加压力，后者正在努力确保长期客户和市场份额。

“This trend only depicts⁷ the inevitable⁸ problem that Middle Eastern producers are going to face in China,” said Ed Morse, Citigroup’s global head of commodities research.

花旗集团(Citigroup)大宗商品研究全球主管艾德?摩尔斯(Ed Morse)说：“这一趋势仅反映了中东产油国在中国将不得不面对的问题。”

Loan-for-oil deals with Russia, as well as other countries such as Brazil, will “make it more difficult for Saudi Arabia, Iraq and others to compete for market share in China”, he added. Additional oil from Iran if sanctions are lifted will only increase the struggle.

中国与俄罗斯以及巴西等国签署的贷款换石油协议，将“使沙特、伊拉克及其他产油国更难以竞争中国的市场份额”，他补充说。如果制裁被解除，来自伊朗的更多石油必然将使争夺更加激烈。

The US shale⁹ oilrevolution has reduced the country’s dependence¹⁰ on oil from the Middle East, west Africa and Latin America, prompting exporter countries to search for alternative buyers. They have accelerated their pivot¹¹ towards Asia and sought outa greater share of Chinese imports.

美国页岩油革命降低了其对中东、西非和拉丁美洲的石油依赖，促使石油出口国寻找替代买家。他们已经加快转向亚洲，寻求从中国的进口中获得更大份额。

China, which for a long time has paid a premium¹² for foreign oil, is now spoilt for choice.Countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran are aggressively marketing¹³ their crude with oil officials making trips to Beijing this year.

长期以来一直为外国石油支付溢价的中国如今有了更多的选择余地。沙特、伊朗等国的石油官员今年频频造访北京，积极推销本国的原油。

Although Chinese imports fell 11 per cent year-on-year in May to 5.5m b/d they remain strong even as economic growth has slowed. It is adding refining capacity to meet its energy needs and demographic changes are set to propel oil demand in years to come.

虽然中国5月进口同比下降11%，至每日550万桶，但进口势头仍保持强劲，即便经济增长已经放缓。中国正在提升炼油能力以满足能源需求，而且人口结构变化未来几年内也将推动石油需求。