Can Central Asia Deepen Multilateral Cooperation Without Institutionalization?
August 14th, 2024
Via The Diplomat, a report on the sixth consultative meeting of the Central Asian leaders concluded without a major breakthrough, but recent Kazakh-Uzbek bilateral agreements could be the key to deepening cooperation in the region: In 2024, Astana became a hub for a series of pivotal meetings that each marked as a significant “first” in […]
Read more »Pakistan Sees Solar Boom As Chinese Imports Surge
August 14th, 2024
Via Bloomberg, an article on Pakistan’s solar boom: Nation becomes third-largest destination for China’s exporters Grid electricity use at lowest in four years after price hikes Pakistan’s market for solar power is booming, propelled by a surge in imports from China, according to BloombergNEF. The country imported some 13 gigawatts of solar modules in the […]
Read more »China’s Railway Diplomacy On High Speed In Vietnam
August 14th, 2024
Via East Asia Forum, a report on China’s railway diplomacy: In Brief The Vietnamese government plans to begin construction on two high-speed railway lines in cooperation with China by 2030, connecting key Vietnamese port cities, Hanoi and provinces bordering China. These railway projects aim to open up deeper economic ties and boost manufacturing relocation from […]
Read more »Laundering Carbon—The Gulf’s ‘New Scramble for Africa’?
August 13th, 2024
Via International Viewpoint, critical commentary on the Gulf’s involvement in African carbon offset projects: In early November 2023, shortly before the COP28 summit opened in Dubai, a hitherto obscure UAE firm attracted significant media attention around news of their prospective land deals in Africa Kenyatta Ngusilo (C), a member of the Ogiek community, watches as […]
Read more »China Drives African Lithium Surge to Lock in Key Battery Metal
August 13th, 2024
Via Bloomberg, a report on how Chinese miners and refiners are driving a surge in African lithium output: African mines projected to account for 14% of supply by 2028 West is lagging behind China in securing critical minerals Chinese miners and refiners are driving a surge in African lithium output, shrugging off concerns over a […]
Read more »The Sleepy Czech Town Helping Europe Compete in the Global Chip War
August 13th, 2024
Via Bloomberg, an article on a $2 billion investment by a US company which promises to create a tech hub in the Czech Republic and help modernize the country’s stagnating economy: The Czech town of Roznov pod Radhostem was best known for its rum-drizzled sweet pies and an open-air museum showing off historical wooden houses. […]
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.