On Track: Uganda Revives Colonial-Era Railway After Chinese Funds Fall Through
August 10th, 2023
Uganda’s government is revamping a 400-kilometer old railway line between Tororo in eastern Uganda, near the border with Kenya, and Gulu in the north, near South Sudan. The revamp, set to cost $55.4 million over the next two years, follows an agreement with the Chinese contractor China Road and Bridge Corporation. As reported by Rfi, Uganda […]
Read more »CPEC In The Shadow Of Balochistan’s Insurgency
August 10th, 2023
Via Eurasia Review, commentary on the persistent security issues that overhang CPEC’s success: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative aims to link China and Pakistan by oil and gas pipelines, railroads, and an optical fibre link that runs from Gwadar to Xinjiang. The project, which is the largest endeavour in China and Pakistan’s bilateral relations, […]
Read more »China’s Digital Diplomacy: Beaming Into Africa With Satellite TV
August 10th, 2023
Courtesy of The Wire China, an interesting look at StarTimes, a Chinese-owned satellite TV company, which has 25M subscribers and is now Africa’s second-largest satellite TV service after South Africa’s MultiChoice: Visitors to the Mozambique town of Marracuene in southeastern Africa will notice two logos on the satellite dishes attached to local buildings: the first […]
Read more »Shaky Foundations for the BRICS Expansion Push
August 9th, 2023
Courtesy of The Diplomat, a report that – while China and Russia are keen to expand BRICS into a coalition to counter the U.S. – Brazil and India are reluctant: The 15th summit of the BRICS group (composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22-24 […]
Read more »China’s Chokehold On Tesla
August 9th, 2023
Courtesy of Nikkei Asia, a report that Tesla relies on China for 40% of battery supply chain, despite efforts to boost the resiliency of its lithium supplies: Nearly 40% of the suppliers for materials used in Tesla’s electric vehicle batteries are Chinese companies, a Nikkei analysis finds, underscoring China’s strong presence in a strategically important […]
Read more »From Beijing to Chengdu, UAE’s ENOC Establishes First China Jet Fuel Network
August 9th, 2023
Via Al Monitor, an article on expansion of UAE’s national oil company’s jet fuel network into China: Dubai’s Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) announced the first expansion of its jet fuel network in China with the establishment of 14 airports on Tuesday, demonstrating China’s growing ties with the United Arab Emirates. The government-owned oil and gas […]
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.