Archive for August, 2024

China Conquers Mexico’s Automotive Market, and the US Is Worried

Via Wired, a look at how – led by the automaker BYD – China has established itself as the main car supplier in Mexico: China has positioned itself as the main car supplier in Mexico, with exports reaching $4.6 billion in 2023, according to data from Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy. The Chinese automaker BYD surpassed Honda […]

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Can Cooperation Solve Cambodia’s Canal Conundrum?

Via East Asia Forum, commentary on tensions surrounding Cambodia’s Funan Techo Canal which is backed by China: Cambodia’s US$1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal, backed by China, aims to reshape regional logistics and reduce reliance on Vietnam’s maritime routes. While the Belt and Road Initiative-backed project promises enhanced connectivity, it has raised security concerns about its […]

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Growing but Limited: Iranian Economic Relations with China

Via Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, analysis of the growing dependence of the Iranian economy on China: The tightening of relations between China and Iran is considered one of the main factors preventing the collapse of Iran’s economy, which has been subject to sanctions since the United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement in […]

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The New Influencers: The Expanding Role of Middle Powers in Africa

Courtesy of Harvard’s Belfer Center, a new report on the expanding role of Middle Powers such as Brazil, India, Japan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, and Qatar in Africa: This original primer, conducted as research for The Africa Futures Project, is an initial exploration into the evolving roles and increasing influence of “middle powers” in […]

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Chinese Firm Signs MoU To Build Modern Oil Refinery In South Sudan

Via Xinhua, news of an agreement between Chinese firm Shengli Oilfield Keer Engineering and Construction Company (SOKEC) and South Sudan’s state-owned Nile Petroleum Corporation (NILEPET) to construct modern oil refinery and storage facilities in South Sudan: Chinese firm Shengli Oilfield Keer Engineering and Construction Company (SOKEC) on Friday signed an agreement with South Sudan’s state-owned […]

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Now Applying: North Koreans

Via Forbes, a report on how – with the arrival of AI – companies are being overwhelmed with job applications from North Korea: Last year, employees at Cinder, a tech startup that provides content moderation software and is led by former intelligence officials, began to notice strange anomalies in the thousands of job applications it […]

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WILDCATS AND BLACK SHEEP
Wildcats & Black Sheep is a personal interest blog dedicated to the identification and evaluation of maverick investment opportunities arising in frontier - and, what some may consider to be, “rogue” or “black sheep” - markets around the world.

Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.