Archive for ‘Natural resources’

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25/03/2013

* China’s Xi tells Africa he seeks relationship of equals

Reuters: “China’s new president told Africans on Monday he wanted a relationship of equals that would help the continent develop, responding to concerns that Beijing is only interested in shipping out its raw materials.

TANZANIA-DAR ES SALAAM-CHINA-XI JINPING-ARRIVAL

On the first stop on an African tour that will include a BRICS summit of major emerging economies, Xi Jinping told Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete that China’s involvement in Africa would help the continent grow richer.

“China sincerely hopes to see faster development in African countries and a better life for African people,” Xi said in a speech laying out China’s policy on Africa, delivered at a conference center in Dar es Salaam built with Chinese money.

Renewing an offer of $20 billion of loans to Africa between 2013 and 2015, Xi pledged to “help African countries turn resource endowment into development strength and achieve independent and sustainable development”.

Africans broadly see China as a healthy counterbalance to Western influence but, as ties mature, there are growing calls from policymakers and economists for a more balanced trade deal.

“China will continue to offer, as always, necessary assistance to Africa with no political strings attached,” Xi said to applause. “We get on well and treat each others as equals.”

But gratitude for that aid is increasingly tinged with resentment about the way Chinese companies operate in Africa where industrial complexes staffed exclusively by Chinese workers have occasionally provoked riots by locals looking for work.

Countering concerns that Africa is not benefitting from developing skills or technology from Chinese investment, Xi said China would train 30,000 African professionals, offer 18,000 scholarships to African students and “increase technology transfer and experience”.”

via China’s Xi tells Africa he seeks relationship of equals | Reuters.

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Posted in BRICS, China alert, Construction, Diplomacy, economic inter-dependence, Economics, exports, Foreign acquisition, GeoPolitics, Import, Infrastructure, joint venture, Manufacturing, Natural resources, Politics | Leave a Comment »

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09/12/2012

* Canada OK’s foreign energy takeovers, but slams door on any more

China acquires more natural resources.

Reuters: “Canada approved China’s biggest ever foreign takeover on Friday, a $15.1 billion bid by state-controlled CNOOC Ltd for energy company Nexen Inc., but drew a line in the sand against future buys by state-owned enterprises.

A man walks into the Nexen building in downtown Calgary, Alberta, July 23, 2012. REUTERS/Todd Korol

In a fierce defense of a tough, new foreign investment framework, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada would not deliver control of the oil sands – the world’s third-largest proven reserves of crude – to a foreign government.

The ruling, anxiously awaited by investors and politicians alike, followed months of heated debate about how much of Canada’s energy sector could and should be absorbed by companies run by other nations.

The bid triggered unusually open dissent among legislators in the ruling right-of-center Conservatives, many of whom were particularly nervous about the idea of allowing China to gain control of the oil sands.

Canada said yes to this deal, but will not do so next time.

“To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years reducing the ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments, only to see them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead,” Harper told reporters after Ottawa gave the deal the green light, along with approval for the less controversial takeover of gas company Progress Energy Resources Corp by another state-owned energy company, Petronas of Malaysia.

“Foreign state control of oil sands development has reached the point at which further such foreign state control would not be of net benefit to Canada,” he added.”

via Canada OK’s foreign energy takeovers, but slams door on any more | Reuters.

See also: http://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in China alert, Economics, Foreign acquisition, Natural resources, oil & gas | 1 Comment »

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17/09/2012

* For Beijing, expansion is not a big deal, it’s lots of them

The Times: “China’s slowing economy has failed to dent its global ambitions, with an increasingly hungry dragon scouring the globe for higher-value corporate deals, according to new research.

It made 177 outbound acquisitions worth a combined $63.1 billion last year, five times more than in 2005, the study by Mergermarket and Squire Sanders, the law firm, found. Deals are also growing in value, with the planned $15.1 billion takeover of Nexen, the Canadian oil sands explorer, by the state-owned CNOOC set to be China’s biggest-ever foreign acquisition, if it goes ahead.

Next month China will release its third-quarter GDP data, with some economists suggesting that growth could fall below the 7.6 per cent it brushed in the second quarter, despite assurances from Beijing that the economy would stabilise in the second half.

Natural resources and energy, the sectors most critical to China’s future growth, continue to dominate purchases, accounting for almost one in three M&A targets between 2011 and the year to date. Almost all these buyers are state-owned companies making investments at the behest of the Government.

Mao Tong, a Hong Kong-based partner at Squire Sanders, said: “We are seeing companies becoming more interested in making a strategic play, rather than just adding to their portfolio. These are big deals designed to position them in a global context.

“Even if the Chinese economy slows sharply, I think this will continue for a while. China is still the world’s most important manufacturing base, using huge amounts of iron ore, for example.”

China is eager to deploy its $3 trillion of foreign exchange reserves, mainly held in dollars, to counter the gradual depreciation of the currency and put its national wealth to good use. Yet the number of private sector deals is also expected to increase as the Government encourages state-owned banks to step up lending to the corporate sector.Britain is the favoured destination for Chinese dealmaking in Western Europe, accounting for a third of deals and two thirds of all outbound investment to the region, thanks to its reputation for transparency and a large number of Russian and Central Asian resources companies, Mr Mao suggested.

China has shown an increasing taste for European luxury brands, such as Shandong Heavy Industry’s buyout of the Italian yacht group Ferretti this year. Recent British brands going East include Weetabix, bought by the Shanghai dairy group Bright Food, and the $7.8 billion buyout of Northumbrian Water by Cheung Kong Infrastructure, a Hong Kong group chaired by Li Ka-shing.

The Dragon Index, a quarterly measure of China’s overseas direct investment by the private equity firm A Capital, which was released last week, hit an historic high in the second quarter, with ODI said to grow by 67 per cent between April and June on the previous quarter, to $24 billion.

André Loesekrug-Pietri, founder of A Capital, said: “State-owned enterprises remain the dominant force behind China’s ODI, with 90 per cent of the total deal value in the second quarter 2012.”

European companies accounted for 95 per cent of all non-resources deals in the quarter, the figures suggested. China’s share of US deals has slowed this year, owing to the sensitive political climate before the presidential election.”

via For Beijing, expansion is not a big deal, it’s lots of them | The Times.

See also: http://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

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26/08/2012

* India coal scandal: Hundreds protest against PM Singh

BBC News: “Police in the Indian capital Delhi have baton-charged hundreds of anti-corruption protesters angered by the government’s sale of coalfields without open bidding.

An auditors’ report last week said the mis-selling cost India $33bn (£20bn).

Police also used water cannon and tear gas to turn back protesters trying to reach the house of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Opposition calls for Mr Singh to resign have deadlocked parliament.

In the report last week, government auditors said private companies had made “windfall gains” by the allocation of coal mining rights from 2005-9 in a process that “lacked transparency”. India is one of the largest producers of coal in the world.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) says Mr Singh should quit because he was head of the coal ministry at the time of the sales.

The call has left parliament deadlocked since Tuesday. The Congress-led government insists there was no wrongdoing.”

via BBC News – India coal scandal: Hundreds protest against PM Singh.

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Posted in Illegal practices, India alert, Natural resources | 1 Comment »

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01/08/2012

* China approves Hanlong’s $1.3 billion bid for Australia’s Sundance

reuters: “China has approved Hanlong Mining’s long-delayed $1.3 billion takeover bid for Australian iron ore developer Sundance Resources (SDL.AX), a vote of confidence for a sector grappling with falling prices and weak demand as the global economy cools.

Sundance Resources Limited

Sundance Resources Limited (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hanlong, which already owns 17 percent of Sundance, wants the company for its $4.7 billion Mbalam iron ore project on the border of the republics of Congo and Cameroon in western Africa. The region is seen as a major new source of iron ore that could cut China’s dependence on Australia and Brazil.

“We have gotten approval from the National Development and Reform Commission. It was approved yesterday,” a media officer from Hanlong told Reuters on Wednesday.

With the approval from the top economic planner, Hanlong now needs finance from China Development Bank to complete the deal that was agreed a year ago, when the iron ore price outlook was far more positive.

The deal’s lengthy delays had pointed to China’s reluctance to make big bets on risky resources projects offshore amid uncertainty over economic growth at home.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, has seen six consecutive quarters of slower growth and commodity stockpiles mushroom, weighing on prices.

Iron ore prices are languishing near their lowest level in more than two and a half years.

Under the agreement, Hanlong must secure China Development Bank’s blessings by Aug 31 to buy the shares it does not already own at A$0.57 per share, valuing the company at A$1.74 billion.

Media reports in Australia on Wednesday said Hanlong had reduced the deal to 50 cents a share and Sundance board was expected to recommend the new offer. It was not immediately clear whether the offer had been cut. A Sundance spokeswoman declined to comment.

Sundance shares last traded at A$0.335 cents, 41 percent below Hanlong’s offer, reflecting concerns the deal would not proceed. The stock was placed on a trading halt on Tuesday.

Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board approved Hanlong’s bid for Sundance in June.”

via China approves Hanlong’s $1.3 billion bid for Australia’s Sundance | Reuters.

See also: http://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in China alert, Economics, Foreign acquisition, Natural resources | 2 Comments »

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24/07/2012

* CNOOC to buy Nexen for $15.1 billion in China’s largest foreign deal

Reuters: “State-controlled CNOOC Ltd launched China’s richest foreign takeover bid yet on Monday by agreeing to buy Canadian oil producer Nexen Inc for $15.1 billion, forcing Ottawa to decide whether security concerns outweigh its desire for foreign investment in its energy resources.

CNOOC, China’s third-largest oil company, hopes to sell the deal to shareholders and the government with a hefty 61 percent premium to Nexen’s Friday stock price. It promised to retain all employees and to make Canada home base for its Western Hemisphere operations.

CNOOC is offering $27.50 cash a share for Nexen, which has oil sands operations in the Canadian province of Alberta, shale gas in the province of British Columbia and extensive exploration and production holdings in the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico and offshore West Africa.

The initial shareholder reaction was enthusiastic. Shares of Nexen, whose board unanimously approved the deal, surged C$9.06, or 52 percent, to C$26.35 in Toronto on Monday.

…

The move is the most ambitious foray by resource-hungry China into North American energy since a 2005 attempt to buy U.S.-based Unocal for $18.5 billion was thwarted by a political backlash there.

Chinese companies have been among the most aggressive in targeting assets around the globe to help feed demand in the world’s second-biggest economy.

As for Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pushed to attract more energy investments from China. The CNOOC deal shows his efforts are bearing fruit, and Canada has more reasons to accept the deal than to veto it.

“For Canada, this agreement provides a stable source of investment for the many projects that Nexen operates, which includes the exploitation of bitumen in Alberta,” CNOOC Chief Executive Li Fanrong said in a conference call.

“Because we intend to be a local company as much as a global one, we also intend to seek a listing for CNOOC Ltd on the Toronto Stock Exchange.”

The deal is subject to a review by the Industry Ministry, which by law must decide if the takeover would bring a “net benefit” to Canada.

In its favor is both CNOOC’s commitments to Canada, and the fact that Nexen’s operations are mostly outside Canada.”

via CNOOC to buy Nexen for $15.1 billion in China’s largest foreign deal | Reuters.

See also: http://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in China alert, Economics, Foreign acquisition, Natural resources | 1 Comment »

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21/06/2012

* Imagine if every resident of Mumbai had a car?

IT Decisions: “Professor Stéphane Garelli of IMD Business School and the University of Lausanne delivered one of the opening keynotes, describing the future of the world economy. One of the key points he made related to consumers in emerging economies creating ‘needs’ from what were previously ‘wants’.

“In China, everybody is buying a fridge. How many times have you bought a fridge? Once you have one then it lasts a long time before you replace it. You are living in a replacement economy where you are just upgrading what you already have. In China, you have no fridge, you want one. You have no TV set, you want one. You have no telephone, you want one…” he said.

The idea that enormous tranches of humanity are about to start consuming items they have never used before, such as cars, washing machines, fridges, and air conditioning, is a scary thought for environmental campaigners. Economic growth benefits those who are lifted from poverty, but how can the world really cope with billions of new drivers all expecting their own car?

Professor Garelli said: “The problem for the environment is that the infrastructure is not following [consumption].  For example in China, in 2020 they will buy 30m cars and only 15m will be sold in the USA. So everybody wants a car, but there are not enough roads for all of them. You need growth, you need traffic control, etc – the infrastructure has to grow in parallel.”

Professor Garelli went on to explain: “This means there is an enormous environmental impact and I think that this growth has to be checked. At a certain stage they will have to slow down some access. There are some countries where people can perhaps wait for a car – can you imagine if every single person in Mumbai has a car?”  …  ”

via Imagine if every resident of Mumbai had a car? | IT Decisions.

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30/05/2012

* China Buys Spanish Assets

WSJ: “A debt-laden Spanish construction firm became the latest European company to unload assets onto eager Chinese buyers, as Europes debt woes force firms to look to China for cash.

State Grid Corp., China’s government controlled power-grid operator, said Tuesday it would buy high-voltage electricity transmission assets in Brazil from Spain’s Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA  for 1.86 billion reais ($938.2 million), including debt. The deal is State Grid’s second investment in Brazil and its fourth major investment overseas, and is the most recent in a string of deals in which a European company has looked to exit an investment amid financial troubles facing the region. ACSs standing has weaken because of its debts and the falling value of investments made during Spain’s boom years. Chairman Florentino Pérez, who is also the president of Spain’s soccer club Real Madrid CF, led ACS’s expansion when liquidity was abundant and Spain’s economy was booming on the back of a real-estate bubble that imploded about five years ago. As credit dried up, ACS began to cut down on debt by shedding assets. ACS currently has more than €9.33 billion ($11.70 billion) in debt, about a half of what it had a few years ago.

Other southern European companies have also been selling their crown jewels abroad to raise cash. Portugal, for example, is attracting significant investments from China because of its presence in former colonies that are resurfacing as high-growth markets, rich in natural resources. In December, fellow state-controlled power giant China Three Gorges Corp. won a 21% stake in EDP-Energias de Portugal SA— which has significant Brazil operations—with a €2.69 billion bid.

via China State Grid to Buy Brazilian Assets – WSJ.com.

Related post: http://chindia-alert.org/2012/02/13/pattern-of-chinese-overseas-investments/

Posted in China alert, Economics, Infrastructure, Investment in tangibles, Natural resources, Recession | Leave a Comment »

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08/05/2012

* China’s first deep-water rig to drill in South China Sea

Xinhua: “The first deep-water drilling rig developed in China will be put into service in

 the South China Sea on Wednesday, the countrys largest offshore oil producer said Monday.

The sixth-generation semi-submersible CNOOC 981 will begin operations in a sea area 320 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong at a water depth of 1,500 meters, China National Offshore Oil Corp. It will be the first independent deep-water oil drilling by a Chinese company, marking “a substantial step” made by the country’s deep-sea oil industry, CNOOC said. About 70 percent of oil and gas reserves in the resource-rich South China Sea is contained in 1.54 million square km of deep-water regions, or sea areas with depths of over 300 meters. However, most of China’s current offshore oil exploration is conducted less than 300 meters below the surface.

The South China Sea is estimated to have 23 billion to 30 billion tonnes of oil and 16 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, accounting for one-third of Chinas total oil and gas resources.”

via Chinas first deep-water rig to drill in South China Sea – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

Another instance of China continuing to reduce reliance on Western hi-tech.
 
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21/04/2012

* China’s Premier in Iceland, eyes on Arctic riches

extract from Reuters: “China signed accords on energy cooperation and the Arctic in Iceland on Friday as Premier Wen Jiabao started a tour of northern Europe that will focus on Chinese investment in a continent eager for funds and to trade with the rising world power.

Centrepiece of the trip will be a visit to Germany, where Wen and Chancellor Angela Merkel will on Sunday and Monday burnish industrial ties that have done much for both economies. That the prime minister of the world’s most populous nation should stop first, however, on a remote island of just 320,000 has raised hopes for an injection of Chinese cash into an economy ravaged by the bursting of a financial bubble in 2008 – but also suspicion of Beijing’s hunger for natural resources. …

Over two days, Wen, who trained as a geologist, will see volcanic geysers and electricity plants where Iceland captures geothermal energy. Friday’s meetings between Wen and Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir resulted in agreements to cooperate in the Arctic region, in marine and polar science and in geothermal energy. Orka Energy Ltd – an Icelandic firm focused on producing geothermal energy – and China’s Sinopec Group also signed a deal to develop geothermal energy in China for heating houses and the production of electricity, though no figures were provided. …

But by starting with a full-scale visit to Iceland, Wen has fuelled European concern that China might be trying to exploit the country’s economic troubles to gain a strategic foothold in the North Atlantic and Arctic region. The area has big reserves of oil, gas, gold, diamonds, zinc and iron. And with global warming melting polar ice, it may offer world powers new shipping routes – and naval interests – for the trade between Asia, Europe and America’s east coast. “When it comes to the Arctic, we always have China on our mind,” said one European diplomat from the Nordic region, who spoke to Reuters this week on condition of anonymity.

But conspiracy theories over why such an Asian giant would be interested in such a small nation abound. “Given Chinas investment pattern around the globe, people have asked questions. Why are doing this? Is there some ulterior motive?” said Embla Eir Oddsdottir at the Stefansson Arctic Institute. “For next decade they are going to be battling some sort of suspicion as to their motive, because people have a tendency to link them to some type of regime.” …”

via UPDATE 3-Chinas Wen in Iceland, eyes on Arctic riches | Reuters.

Why the suspicion and conspiracy theory?  China has been wooing all sorts of countries in the recent past – see posts:

http://chindia-alert.org/2012/04/16/us-alert-as-chinas-cash-buys-inroads-in-caribbean/

http://chindia-alert.org/2012/12/31/question-who-did-china-woo-in-2012/

http://chindia-alert.org/political-factors/geopolitics-chinese/

It is part of China’s geopolitical plan to be friends wioth everyone – without prejudice to religion, race, politics, etc!

Posted in China alert, Climate change, Diplomacy, Economics, GeoPolitics, Good news, Natural resources, Transport | 3 Comments »

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