China

Industry News

Gulf Crude Shuttled Through Hormuz for Offshore Transfers to Long-Haul Tankers

Gulf producers are utilizing short-haul shuttle tankers to transport crude through the Strait of Hormuz for offshore ship-to-ship transfers off Oman and the UAE. According to Arabian Gulf Business Insight, Saudi Arabia adopted the workaround following the disruption of its East-West pipeline, pushing loadings back toward 4 million barrels per day. The crude is transferred off Sohar and Fujairah to long-haul vessels serving Asian destinations including China.

China–UAE News

BlackRock Report Details China’s Move Up Advanced Manufacturing and AI Value Chain

The BlackRock Investment Institute reported that China is increasingly competing on quality rather than pure scale across advanced manufacturing and technology. In 2025, China represented 14.8% of global merchandise exports while its import share dropped to 9.8% amid deeper domestic supply integration. BlackRock maintained a neutral stance on broader Chinese equities while highlighting selective opportunities in physical AI and tech hardware.

China–UAE News

Luckin Coffee Weighs Gulf Expansion Following Backing From Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala

Luckin Coffee is considering entering Persian Gulf markets to drive international growth beyond China, according to company leadership. The strategic push follows a $1 billion joint transaction involving Abu Dhabi sovereign investor Mubadala Investment Company and Luckin's controlling shareholder Centurium Capital. Concurrently, the chain marked an overseas milestone by opening its 100th store in Singapore.

Industry News

Middle East to China VLCC Freight Rates Surpass $1.2 Million Daily

Daily earnings for Very Large Crude Carriers on the Arabian Gulf to China route exceeded $1.2 million per day in late September 2026. According to the Baltic Exchange, round-trip earnings for shipments from Ras Tanura to Ningbo hit $1,235,414 a day amid shipping bottlenecks near the Strait of Hormuz. LSEG data showed spot rates reached an absolute high of $1.27 million on September 21.