Nobody’s Backyard: A Confident Central Asia
September 7th, 2024
Via Carnegie, an article on how the decline of the United States’ influence in Eurasia and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine have thrust the smaller nations of Central Asia into the global spotlight: Central Asia has faced seismic geopolitical shifts over the past few years. Major global crises—the deterioration of U.S. relations with China and ensuing […]
Read more »The Gulf of Thailand: Next U.S.-China Flashpoint?
September 7th, 2024
Via Nikkei Asia, a look at how Beijing’s backing of Cambodian infrastructure could alter regional balance of power: While geopolitical tensions between China and the U.S. have soared in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, raising serious fears of war, another important body of water in the Indo-Pacific — the Gulf of Thailand — […]
Read more »As China Buys Less Oil, Angola Struggles To Repay Debt
September 6th, 2024
Via Eurasia Review, a report on how – as China buys less oil – Angola struggles to repay its debt: Angola’s long-running financial relationship with China has been built on a simple equation: Angola would repay its growing Chinese debt with oil, a strategy that became known as the Angola Model. The strategy is faltering, […]
Read more »Partnering with Middle Eastern Countries to Boost U.S. Minerals Security
September 6th, 2024
Via the Center for Strategic & International Studies, commentary on the need for the U.S. to partner with GCC companies to boost mineral security: Over the last four years, the Biden administration has rolled out a series of legislation to reduce its reliance on China for various supply chains. This includes the Inflation Reduction Act […]
Read more »Ex-BP Executive Gets Go Ahead for Biggest African Mangrove Project
September 6th, 2024
Via Bloomberg, an article on a significant new mangrove project in Mozambique: A company founded and controlled by a former BP Plc executive has won a license to restore and protect mangrove forests in Mozambique, Africa’s biggest such project yet. The United Arab Emirates-based Blue Forest plans to start planting 200 million mangrove trees in […]
Read more »Cooling Off: Hotpot Companies are Losing Steam as China Consumers Wilt
September 6th, 2024
Courtesy of The Financial Times, an article on Chinese hotpot companies and their growing focus on international market to make up for weak Chinese domestic demand: Chinese hotpot meals are social events with diners sharing a steaming pot of soup. These restaurants were understandably hit hard during the pandemic due to social-distancing requirements. Now they […]
Read more »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.