When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...
Category: Strategic Resources
China Presses Malaysia and Cambodia Over US Trade Deals
China has asked Malaysia and Cambodia to explain the trade agreements they signed with the United States in October, issuing rare public complaints that the deals require the two Southeast Asian governments to adopt American security-related trade measures. China’s Ministry ...
Malaysia to Fast-Track Joint Rare Earths Investment with China: PM
Kuala Lumpur will fast-track and speed up talks on a joint Malaysia-China rare earths investment via Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah Nasional, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today. “During my meeting with Premier Li Qiang, I proposed that China’s investment ...
China Pauses U.S.-Targeted Curbs on Gallium & Germanium
China’s Commerce Ministry MOFCOM said Sunday that it pauses, or suspending U.S.-targeted export curbs on gallium, germanium and antimony. The suspension runs through November 27 next year and is reversible. Beijing will require exporters to obtain licenses and pass ...
Thailand Faces Backlash Over U.S. Rare Earth Deal Aimed at China
The U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Sunday signed a rare earths and critical minerals memorandum on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. The deal is drawing immediate backlash in Bangkok from opposition lawmakers. ...
Addressing China, U.S. Gets Full Rare Earth Access from Malaysia
The United States is moving to lock in Malaysia as a secure economic and strategic partner in Southeast Asia. The U.S.–Malaysia rare earths agreement ties market access to U.S. rules on critical minerals, rare earths, technology, data, labor, and national ...
China’s Export Curbs Spur Rare Earth Scramble
China’s announcement last week that exports of refined rare earth minerals, permanent magnets using these elements, and the equipment used to refine them, has sparked panic among the countries that depend on these exports for high-technology products, including weapons and wind turbines.
China to License Rare-Earth Exports to Screen Security Risks
China’s Commerce Ministry on Sunday says rare-earth export licenses will screen security risks, not halt trade nor impose an export ban. Compliant civilian applications “will get approval,” with a “very limited” supply-chain impact. It says partners were notified in ...
China to Stockpile 169 Million Barrels of Oil by 2026
China is expanding its crude oil reserves with new storage sites scheduled for completion in 2025–2026. The effort will add at least 169 million barrels of capacity across 11 locations, according to public data. China has built about ...
China–Malaysia in Rare Earths Refinery Talks, With Tech Transfer
China and Malaysia are in early talks on a rare-earth processing project. The potential collaboration could involve Chinese state-linked firms partnering with Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional to build a refinery in Malaysia, according to people familiar with the discussions.
China Offers Malaysia Rare Earths Processing Under Conditions
China has opened the door for Malaysia to host what would be its first overseas rare earths processing venture. This was revealed after President Xi Jinping signalled Beijing’s readiness to provide technical assistance, only if run through government-linked companies. The ...
China Expands Strategic Reserve of Industrial Metals as Indonesia, Philippines Tighten Supply
China is quietly expanding its strategic reserves of key industrial metals, including nickel, just as Indonesia and the Philippines tighten export policies and raise mining royalties, reshaping global supply chains. Beijing’s stockpiling efforts and shifting supply dynamics in Southeast Asia are ...
With Prices Low, China Moves Quickly to Secure Supplies of Critical Metals
The year-long plunge in the prices of critical materials used to manufacture electric vehicle batteries, namely nickel, cobalt, and lithium, is destroying the bottom lines of Western mining companies. Mining companies in Australia, Canada, and several European countries are laying off ...