Infrastructure Diplomacy The Key To China’s Influence In Africa
February 28th, 2024
Via East Asia Forum, an article on China’s strategy of gifting large-scale projects worldwide, especially in Africa, to establish itself as a modernization facilitator and gain international prestige: China gifted Zimbabwe a new parliament building in October 2023 — a US$200 million project financed and constructed by the Chinese government. This generosity is part of a […]
Read more »Rush for Africa’s ‘Clean Energy’ Minerals Risks Repeating Harmful Extractivist Model
January 5th, 2024
Via Mongabay, commentary on how the rush for ‘clean energy’ minerals in Africa risks repeating harmful extractivist model: The nonprofit Global Witness investigated lithium mining projects in Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Namibia, which appear to reproduce the same model of extractivism that has impoverished African countries for centuries. In March, residents of […]
Read more »West Faces Long Struggle To Loosen China’s Grip on Africa’s Critical Minerals
December 5th, 2023
Courtesy of The Africa Report, commentary on the long struggle faced by the West to loosen China’s grip on Africa’s critical minerals: China is in pole position to negotiate minerals access with African governments keen to add more value locally. China has built a long head start over the West in securing access to Africa’s […]
Read more »Rush for Lithium in Africa Risks Fueling Corruption and Failing The Continent’s Citizens
November 22nd, 2023
Via Global Witness, critical commentary on the rush for lithium in Africa: Efforts to address the global climate emergency are leading to an increased demand for renewable energy technology, particularly in the Global North, including electric vehicles and the batteries required to power them. Africa is one of the new frontiers in a race for […]
Read more »China to Invest $2.8 Billion in Zimbabwe in Lithium, Energy
November 3rd, 2023
Courtesy of Bloomberg, a report on China’s plans to invest $2.8B in Zimbabwe’s lithium and energy space: UAE is closest rival with $498.5 million investmnet planned Moere than two thirds of investment licenses go to China firms Chinese companies were awarded licenses in the third quarter that could see $2.79 billion of investment flow into […]
Read more »China: ‘Building’ Diplomacy In Africa
October 30th, 2023
Via NewsCentral Africa, a report that Zimbabwe has received its $100 Million Parliament building donation from China: The government of China handed over a new $100 million parliament building to Zimbabwe on Thursday, said to have been constructed and funded by China through a grant. The new parliament building, which stands gallantly on the outskirts […]
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.