Category: Energy

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 ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Confusing Developments in “Development”

This week I’m in Brussels, where I took part in a workshop on how the EU should shape its development strategy in response to China’s global influence.
I have joked in the past that it feels like I’ve attended this same ‘EU, Africa, and External Development Partners’ conference for ten years straight. 

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Indonesian President Did Not Consult With Energy Ministry When Revoking China-Backed Hydro Permit, Official Says

Indonesia's energy ministry was not consulted before President Prabowo Subianto decided to revoke the permit of a China-backed hydroelectric power plant on the island of Sumatra, an official at the ministry, Eniya Listiani Dewi, said on Thursday. The government said on ...

Indonesian President Did Not Consult With Energy Ministry When Revoking China-Backed Hydro Permit, Official Says

Indonesia's energy ministry was not consulted before President Prabowo Subianto decided to revoke the permit of a China-backed hydroelectric power plant on the island of Sumatra, an official at the ministry, Eniya Listiani Dewi, said on Thursday. The government said on ...

China’s Heavy Reliance on Iranian Oil Imports

China, the world's largest crude importer, is the main buyer of oil from OPEC producer Iran, leaving Beijing uniquely exposed to any supply disruption from conflict in the Middle East. Beijing, which is also the biggest buyer of ...

China: The Indispensable Partner of Maduro’s Venezuela

By Peter Catterall China was the dominant buyer of Venezuelan oil under deposed president Nicolas Maduro, the fulcrum of a symbiotic partnership that propped up the South American economy and gave Beijing regional influence. But ...

Indonesia to Cut Coal Output in 2026 After Export Slump to China and India

Indonesia plans to cut coal production in 2026 after exports to China and India fell sharply last year and prices declined, Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said. He said Indonesia would reduce coal output to around ...

China Rejects Draft Pentagon Report on Nuclear Missile Silos

China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, rejected a draft Pentagon report on Chinese missile silos near the border with Mongolia and told Washington to cut its own nuclear arsenal first. The U.S. assessment estimated that China had likely loaded more than 100 ...

China to Expand Power Exports to Vietnam as Needs Surge

Vietnam is considering a sharp jump in electricity purchases from China as it looks for ways to keep the lights on in its fast-growing northern region. Factories there have multiplied. So have homes. Hanoi wants double-digit economic growth, and officials say the grid needs help to ...

Why a Geopolitical Megadam Sparks Panic in India but Barely a Murmur in China

In July, China quietly launched the 1.2 trillion-yuan Metog hydropower project, the largest infrastructure project in human history. The planned Metog hydropower station sits on the “Great Bend” of the Yarlung Tsangpo, where the river drops 2,000 meters within a 50-kilometer ...

From Blueprint to Power Plant: Lessons from Chinese Power Projects in Africa

After tracing the arc from planning to procurement, financing to construction, this final installment in Part 1 of The Porcelain Jar at the End of the Rainbow pauses to reflect. What have we learned, not just about China’s engagement in Africa’s power sector, but about the systems, choices, and ...

China’s Wang Yi Urges Resumption of Iran Nuclear Talks in Call With Tehran’s Foreign Minister

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone on Wednesday with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and called for the resumption of nuclear talks. “The current political process for resolving the Iran nuclear issue is at a standstill, and this is not ...

Kenya Breaks Ground for World’s First Geothermal-Powered Fertilizer Plant in Partnership With China’s Kaishan Group

Kenyan President William Ruto led a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for a new $800 million geothermal power facility that will produce 100,000 tons of green ammonia and fertilizer annually. The project, a joint venture between China's Kaishan Group and the state-owned ...

G7 to Launch ‘Alliance’ Countering China’s Critical Mineral Dominance

By Ben Simon G7 energy ministers meeting in Canada on Thursday planned to launch a new alliance to counter China's critical mineral dominance, in a push for more reliable access to the resources that power advanced technologies.
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