The Uncertain Future of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor
April 19th, 2026
Via The Diplomat, a report on how – despite the swearing-in of a new “civilian” government – progress on the project is likely to remain sluggish: With Myanmar’s now-former military chief Min Aung Hlaing having taken up the country’s presidency in civilian garb following a bogus election, this is an opportune moment to examine whether […]
Read more »China, Quad and the Rare Earths Mineral Competition in Myanmar
December 10th, 2025
Via Asia Times, a look at how ethnic rebel groups’ advances against the junta have disrupted Chinese resource-extraction dominance: As the US-China rivalry spirals, it is spilling over into new domains, particularly those involving rare earth minerals, regional supply chains, and emerging technologies. Countries with fragile political systems but high geoeconomic value are increasingly turning […]
Read more »Great Game Intensifies for Myanmar’s Kachin Rare Earths
November 28th, 2025
Via the Asia Times, a look at how US-India cooperation in REE refining could give Kachin rebels controlling mines a strategic alternative to China In the global contest over critical minerals, Myanmar has emerged as an unlikely pivot. Rare earth elements (REE)—dysprosium, terbium, and others indispensable for magnets in wind turbines, electric vehicles, and advanced […]
Read more »How Myanmar Plays A Critical Role in China’s Rare Earth Dominance
June 24th, 2025
Via CNBC, a look at how war-torn Myanmar plays a critical role in China’s rare earth dominance: Myanmar is one of the world’s largest suppliers of rare earth production, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Experts say that most of those rare earths are sent to China, especially the less abundant heavy rare earth elements. […]
Read more »The China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and the Limits of China’s BRI Agency
February 4th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, a report on how CMEC and other Chinese business activities in Myanmar show how exposed China is to escalating conflict risks, and offer insight to the role it is playing in the ongoing civil war: Since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the country has experienced a resurgence of political violence. Fighting […]
Read more »Ruili on Edge: A Chinese Border City Loses Its Mojo
January 29th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, an article on how a onetime boom-town has struggled to adapt to domestic policy shifts, anti-fraud campaigns, and the escalating civil war across the border in Myanmar: On January 5, the 2024 Ruili China and Muse Myanmar Cross-Border Marathon came to an end. This event, marked by its distinctive “One Marathon, Two […]
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.