With U.S.-South Africa ties in the deep freeze, it was notable to see the sheer size of the U.S. delegation sent to this week’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the most prominent industry gatherings and one of the few where the Global South gets a prominent voice.
The Trump administration’s famous Afrophobia seems (momentarily at least) tempered by its greed for minerals. It is reportedly walking ...
Category: Infrastructure
Panama and the New U.S. Strategy to Counter China in Latin America
The Panama Supreme Court’s ruling against Hutchison Ports in late January was not merely an isolated legal event; it was the successful proof-of-concept for a new geopolitical weapon. What appears on the surface to be a dispute over contracts from ...
Can Africa Win as the West and China Scramble for Minerals?
By Clyde Russell Two multi-billion-dollar rail projects in Africa. One headed west, the other east. One backed by Western countries, the other by China. Both are aiming to ship vast quantities of critical minerals. Welcome to the new scramble for Africa. ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
U.S. Warns Peru Over Chinese-Built Chancay Port as Exports Hit Record
The Trump administration warned Peru that the Chinese-built Port of Chancay risks undermining the country’s sovereignty, escalating U.S. pressure over Beijing’s growing infrastructure footprint in Latin America.
Hong Kong Summons Panama Envoy Over CK Hutchison Ports Ruling
Hong Kong's commerce chief on Friday summoned the Panamanian Consul General in the city to condemn a court ruling that annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's contract to operate two ports at the Panama Canal. The move came after China's Hong Kong and Macau ...
Panama Rejects Chinese Threats Over Canal Port Dispute
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Wednesday strongly rejected China's warning that Panama would pay a "heavy price" after the Supreme Court invalidated Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's concession to operate two strategic ports on the Panama Canal. The court ruled the contract unconstitutional, citing disproportionate favoritism toward the ...
Panama Hits Back After China Warns of ‘Heavy Price’ in Ports Row
Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday rejected China's threat to make the Central American country pay a "heavy price" after a Hong Kong company was evicted from two ports on the Panama Canal. Writing on X, Mulino "strongly" rejected the ...
What to Watch After China’s Strategic Setback at the Panama Canal
On Thursday last week, Panama’s Supreme Court delivered a ruling that was felt in some of the highest offices in both Beijing and Washington. The court declared that the concession granting control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports to Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based ...
CK Hutchison Begins Arbitration Against Panama Over Annulled Canal Contract
Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison said in a statement Tuesday it has initiated international arbitration against Panama, after a ruling by the country's top court annulled a concession allowing it to operate ports at the Panama Canal. Panama's Supreme Court last ...
China Warns Panama of ‘Heavy Prices’ to Pay After CK Hutchison Contract Quashed
China warned Panama on Tuesday there would be "heavy prices" to pay after a court ruling there annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's contract to operate two ports at the Panama Canal. China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office called the ruling ...
Peru Exports Jump as China Trade Accelerates After Chancay Port Launch
Peru's exports hit a new record in 2025, jumping 21% from the prior year, fueled by the launch of a massive port on the country's central coast. The South American country's exports totaled $90.08 billion last year, thanks to higher sales ...
China Calls Panama Court Ruling on CK Hutchison Port Contracts ‘Shameful, Pathetic’
China on Tuesday called a Panama court ruling annulling CK Hutchison's contracts to operate two Panama Canal ports "absurd," "shameful and pathetic," and vowed to defend Chinese firms' interests. Panama's Supreme Court last week annulled key contracts Panama Ports Company, a ...
As China Builds the Grid, Laos’s Power Ambitions Enter a New Phase
2026 marks a strategic turning point for Laos in its ambition to become the “Battery of Southeast Asia”, with two mega power transmission projects advancing this year. On the first day of January 2026, the 230 kV Thavieng-Mahaxay transmission line ...
Why the Belt and Road Is Back in a Big Way
There's been a lot of discussion in recent years about the financial health of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Critics contend the BRI became overstretched, bankrupting borrowers and straining creditors suffering from a weakening Chinese economy.
As Australia Reconsiders Darwin Port, China’s Media Find Common Cause
Two prominent Chinese media outlets, often seen as occupying opposite ends of the political spectrum, voiced similar concerns over Australia’s call for China to give up Darwin Port - although from different perspectives. Caixin, a business news publication widely seen ...