Why a Chinese Coal Buy From Australia Should Worry Some Developing Countries

File image of coal shipments being prepped for export from Australia's Newscastle port, the world's largest coal exporting port. Saeed KHAN / AFP

One of China’s largest coal importers, the China Energy Investment Corp., bought at least two shipments of Australian coal on Friday in the latest sign of thawing ties between the two countries.

While the amount purchased is not significant, it’s the first such purchase since China imposed de facto sanctions against $20 billion of Australian products beginning in 2020.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
China, U.S. Ink Rare Earth Deal; More Trade Pacts Coming
4
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
5
Six Million Donkeys Slaughtered for Chinese Medicine: Charity
6
Indonesia Begins $5.9 Billion Chinese EV Battery Project Despite Environment Fears

You Might Like

African Coal Exporters Benefitting From China’s Ongoing Electricity Crisis

China is scouring the globe for new sources of coal in an effort to stem the blackouts that have afflicted millions of residents and businesses in at least nine provinces ...

China’s Australia Tensions a Win for South African Wines 

South Africa doubled its exports of wine to China last year, following the souring of relations between Beijing and its biggest wine seller, Australia. While we’ve seen sporadic reports of how ...

ICBC Bails on Financing $3 Billion Sengwa Coal Power Plant in Zimbabwe

Environmental groups in Zimbabwe are celebrating the news that China’s largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), has decided not to fund the controversial $3 billion Sengwa ...

A Lot of People Mistakenly Think China’s The Major Funder of Coal Plants Around the World. New BU Report Says That’s Not the Case.

China is indeed the largest government funder of coal power projects around the world, accounting for 50% of coal projects that reached financial closure between 2013 and 2018, according to a ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP