China’s Evolving Strategy in South and Central Asia
October 16th, 2024
Via The Diplomat, a look at how China’s growing footprint in South and Central Asia has been made possible by the influx of grants, loans, mergers, and economic concessions for projects: In the middle of the Pamir mountains, near the remote Tajik-Afghan border area of Badakhshan, I find myself staring at a large red banner […]
Read more »Can China’s Global South Strategy Achieve Its Objectives in Central Asia?
October 12th, 2024
Courtesy of The Diplomat, a report on China’s foreign policy toward Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan which has had contrasting results over the years: The notion of the Global South has been characterized as “an intellectually elusive but emotionally rich term.” The multifaceted term Global South can refer to over 120 countries. It is used to describe regions and nations suffering […]
Read more »Kazakhstan: Well Positioned To Become Global Player In Green Hydrogen Industry
September 28th, 2024
Courtesy of Illuminem, a detailed analysis of Kazakhstan’s green hydrogen-water-food nexus: Kazakhstan is well-positioned to become a global player in the green H2 industry. According to Carbon Tracker (2023), “the upcoming 10-15 years will be crucial for laying the foundation of the new economy [in Kazakhstan]. Failure to do so will result in economic stranding […]
Read more »Metals-Rich Kazakhstan Seeks Niche in Battery Supply Chain
September 14th, 2024
Via Reuters, an article on Kazakhstan’s battery supply chain ambitions: Industry minister says country is reliable supplier Aims to capture 10% of market for manganese sulphate Also looking at processing lithium iron phosphate Country is in Russia-led blocs, but neutral on Ukraine war Kazakhstan aims to boost output of metals needed for electric vehicle (EV) […]
Read more »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 »The ‘Corridorizing’ of Asia: Cooperation, Competition, and Consequences
July 25th, 2024
Via The Diplomat, an article on the intense competition, epitomized by competing “corridors,” is emerging in Asia and beyond between the U.S., China, and Russia: “Corridor” has become a ubiquitous buzzword in governance and analyst circles. To fully assess the meaning of “corridors” it is appropriate to fashion an outline of a definition. While 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.