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 ...
Tag: Bauxite
Related Posts
China’s Belt and Road Recalibration: Why Kazakhstan is the New Metals Frontier
Despite widespread expectations that China’s engagement with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries would slow, recent data tells a different story. According to a new report from the Griffith Asia Institute, Chinese involvement in the 150 BRI countries surged in the first half of 2025, reaching ...
Can Africa Move Up the Critical Mineral Value Chain? The Hard Truth Behind a Familiar Chorus
As China opens its doors wider to African exports, extending duty-free market access to all 53 diplomatic partners on the continent, the announcement was met with applause in ministerial corridors from Nairobi to Niamey. For many, the new policy represents another chance for Africa to claim ...
China’s Low-Key Response to the Niger Coup
The Chinese government has been noticeably quiet in response to the turbulent events in Niger where President Mohamed Bazoum was deposed last month in a military coup. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued three pro-forma ...
China and the Future of Environmental Governance in Ghana
Ghana's worsening economic crisis is prompting concerns it will further erode the country's already weak environmental governance system that Chinese actors have profited from in the mining, fishing, and timber sectors. Meantime, local communities across the country suffer amid declining fish ...
While Guinea’s Iron Ore Sales to China Stall, Bauxite Shipments Continue Apace
New shipments of Guinean bauxite arrived in China's northeastern rustbelt zone of Shandong province last week, helping to ease supply constraints of the essential ingredient used to manufacture aluminum. Guinea has emerged as a vital supplier to China ...
WEEK IN REVIEW: Kenya’s Monetary System Struggling Under the Weight of Chinese Debt Servicing Obligations
The demands of servicing debts, largely to China, are weighing heavily on Kenya's monetary system. The shilling dropped again in Monday trading and the central bank reported that foreign exchange reserves have plunged by $899 million over the last three months. Analysts say beyond the hundreds of millions ...
Ghanaian Government Blames COVID For Delay in Chinese Construction Projects But Says Work Will Be Done on Time
A top Ghanaian government spokesman pushed back on accusations that the administration has been slow to build the promised infrastructure projects as part of a controversial $2 billion resource swap deal with the Chinese state-owned conglomerate Sinohydro. President ...
While Sinohydro’s Road Work Maybe Progressing Slowly in Ghana, Government Supporters Insist Progress is Being Made
Government supporters published videos on social media this weekend to push back against the narrative that progress isn't being made as part of the $2 billion Sinohydro-bauxite deal. Also, last month, the news site Graphic Online ...
Three Years Since Ghana Signed That Big Bauxite-For-Infrastructure Deal With China and Not One Road Has Been Built Yet
A fierce debate broke out this week in Ghana over the status of the 2018 bauxite-for-infrastructure deal with China and the fact that three years later, not a single road has been built. Opposition MP Cassiel Ato Forson, the ...
Global Metals Market on Edge Following Guinea Coup and Mounting Concerns About China’s Economy
The coup in Guinea combined with new indicators that China's economy may be slowing is contributing to a period of considerable turbulence in global metals markets as investors try to gauge the impact of these trends on Chinese demand for bauxite, copper, and iron ore:
This Chart Explains Why China is So Concerned About Events in Guinea
"The outcome of the coup attempt is unclear, but the political turmoil offers a test for this relatively new supply chain. Investors need to mull a range of possibilities, from a relatively peaceful power transfer in Conakry that preserves the bauxite status quo, to more disruptive scenarios ...
Guinea Coup Complicates China’s Desire to Wean Itself Off Australian Imports
So far, Guinean bauxite exports to China appear unaffected by last Sunday's coup and policymakers in Beijing are no doubt hoping it stays that way. They would like to avoid having to turn to Australia for further supplies of the critical metal used to manufacture aluminum.