singapore jan 13 reuters  chinas crude oil imports in december rose 42 from a year earlier to the thirdhighest in 2022 on a daily basis data showed on friday as state refiners bought saudi crude at lower official prices and independent refiners rushed to use quotas this brought the 2022 purchases of the worlds top buyer to 50828 million tonnes 09 lower than 2021 and the second annual dip in a row as chinas strict covid19 control measures hit the economy and fuel demand hard refiners took in 4807 million tonnes of crude oil last month equivalent to 113 million barrels per day bpd according to data from the general administration of customs that was a touch lower from november and up from 109 million bpd in december 2021 state refiners raised purchases of saudi crude oil due to its lower pricing versus november while independent refiners chased deeply discounted iranian oil trying to use up their quotas before yearend said traders and analysts the data also showed fuel exports  including gasoline diesel aviation fuel and marine fuel oil  reached 77 million tonnes highest since april of 2020 and up from 614 million tonnes in november reporting by chen aizhu editing by christopher cushing and tom hogue