Private Chinese refineries are top receivers of Iranian crude

…China is the biggest importer of Iranian crude, followed by Syria, supported by a fleet of as many as 180 elderly tankers deployed solely for shipping Iranian crude and operating without penalty in international waters, UANI data showed. “Since the US has, in fact, sanctioned Chinese state-owned importers in the past, such as Zhuhai Zhenrong, the decision to import Iranian oil via dozens of small, unaffiliated ‘non-state’ firms helps obscure the Chinese government’s role and protect its own big firms from scrutiny, accountability and attendant sanctions,” UANI said in a report about its investigation into the private refineries.