Afghanistan Shows Gap Between BRI Rhetoric and Reality
November 9th, 2023
Courtesy of Nikkei Asia, commentary on how China’s BRI has not brought stability to Afghanistan but, instead, requires it: China’s close embrace of the Taliban was on display once again at last month’s Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, where acting Minister for Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Aziz represented the government in Kabul that no […]
Read more »The Taliban’s Quest for Foreign Funding Starts With China
October 26th, 2023
Via The Diplomat, a report that the Taliban are focusing on the countries that are most likely to be interested in investing in Afghanistan, notwithstanding its human rights record or potential for violence: While the West is adamant about isolating the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, owing to its human rights record, the latter is having […]
Read more »Afghanistan: Money Talks
October 22nd, 2023
Via AirMail, commentary on Afghanistan and the flow of international money to support the nation: At this year’s meeting of the General Assembly in the U.N.’s splendid Turtle Bay headquarters, there was a lot of hand-wringing over what’s going on in Afghanistan. The country was taken over two years ago by the revanchist Taliban, following […]
Read more »China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Taliban’s Economic Dreams
October 18th, 2023
Via The Diplomat, commentary on how the specter of insecurity in Afghanistan has been replaced by a lack of governance and widespread incompetence. Investors from China or any other country can be expected to be deeply wary; On October 17 and 18, leaders, delegations and representatives from more than 130 countries gathered in Beijing for […]
Read more »China Courts The Taliban
October 10th, 2023
Via Eurasia Review, a look at China’s efforts to court Afghan leaders: On September 13, China’s newly appointed ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, arrived at the presidential palace in Kabul to present his credentials to the acting prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mohammad Hassan Akhund. Uniformed Taliban members welcomed him to the […]
Read more »Inside the Taliban’s Luxury Hotel
October 7th, 2023
Via Germany’s NZZ, an interesting look at the Intercontinental in Kabul, Afghanistan’s first luxury hotel. Once the site of legendary parties, the hotel is now in the hands of the Taliban, and their fighters are supposed to work with outsiders: At the first barrier, a Talib smiles; he has orders to smile here. At the […]
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.