turning point of sorts

I don’t know what, if anything, this signifies, but I think it’s worth noting, especially in the light of China’s position on Iranian sanctions. 

Energy and mineral producers that once directed their production -- and often their political allegiance -- to the U.S., Japan, and Western Europe now view China as a major customer and patron. In one eye-catching sign of this shift, Saudi Arabia announced recently that it had sold more oil to China last year than to the United States, previously its largest and most pampered customer.