Reuters | Why Russia Beat Saudi Arabia As China's No.1 Oil Supplier OilPrice.com Russia last year overtook Saudi Arabia as China's biggest supplier of crude oil thanks in large part to increased demand from independent refineries, popularly called teapots. This is what statistics data released today by Beijing's customs authority show. Russia beats Saudi Arabia as China's top crude oil supplier in 2016 Russia Wrests Crown of Top China Oil Supplier From Saudi Arabia As oil prices climb, China and India curb their enthusiasm for reserves |