- First Qatar, and now Saudi Arabia, are competing to dominate China’s fast-growing natural gas market, already the third largest in the world, as Beijing encourages the switch from coal to cleaner, greener energy
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A PetroChina LNG tank at Rudong port in Nantong, Jiangsu province. China’s massive and rapidly growing appetite for natural gas is sparking off a scramble in the Middle East, as energy producers compete to become the biggest player in the market. Photo: ReutersAs more countries turn towards clean energy, the geoeconomic impact of natural gas as a fuel has become second only to that of oil. Over the past decade, the global demand for this carbon-free energy source has risen considerably and one major buyer is China.The third largest global market for natural gas, China has implemented government policies to replace the use of coal as fuel and millions of households are switching over to clean energy. Consequently, China’s market for gas expanded by a record 43 billion cubic metres last year to reach 280 billion cubic metres at the end of 2018.With the recent, China’s gas consumption should continue to grow in the year ahead. As the demand spirals further, natural gas consumption in China is estimated to grow to around 620 billion cubic metres in 2030.
Prioritising its energy security, Beijing last year approved a 22-year gas supply deal between QatarGas and PetroChina International Co. The agreement is PetroChina’s largest LNG supply deal by volume, and will provide 3.4 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually.With this deal, which QatarGas initiated with Total and ExxonMobil Corp as partners, Qatar achieved regional dominance and filled a vacuum left by major gas producer Iran, currently the target of US sanctions. Interestingly, Beijing has also unwittingly sparked off a competition between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the kingpins of the Middle Eastern energy industry.
A vessel carrying Qatar LNG looking to berth in Shenzhen, China last August. Qatar’s recent deal highlighted the massive and growing Chinese appetite for natural gas. Photo: ReutersChina to become world’s top natural gas importer in 2019: reportBy exporting gas, as well as oil, Qatar sail unruffled through theimposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt in June 2017, over allegations that Qatar supports terrorism and is friendly with Iran, which the region sees as an enemy. Qatar denies this. Meantime, Qatar plans to further increase its gas output. To attract more buyers, it is offering attractive long-term supply contracts to other countries in the region.
Inspired by the success of Qatar Gas, Saudi Arabia has stepped up its efforts to capture this new market. The Saudi state-owned oil giant Aramco plans to build an “energy bridge” between Saudi Arabia and China to better meet Beijing’s growing requirements for oil, gas, including LNG, said Aramco’s chief executive Amin Nasser at an industry event in Beijing in March.
Aramco, already a major supplier of crude oil to China, would need to invest US$150 billion over the next decade to realise its plans to convert crude oil into chemicals, and eventually become a gas producer. “We need to help our stakeholders – including here in China and the wider Asia region – realise that oil and gas will remain vital to world energy for decades to come,” said Nasser.
An Aramco employee near an oil tank in Saudi Arabia. Aramco has grand ambitions to become a major producer of natural gas. Photo: ReutersThe vision of Saudi Arabia as a major natural gas producer is in in line with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic plan Vision 2030. Riyadh has only Qatar to beat, with Iran on the back foot. Under sanctions pressure, Tehran, despite plans to increase gas exports, has clung on to just 1 per cent of the natural gas market, exporting 36.24 million cubic metres daily. Yet Iran was once part of the so-called regional gas troika along with Russia and Qatar, and is located at the cusp of several energy transit corridors. China, defying sanctions, continues to buy oil from Iran.
In around five years, Riyadh could become a major gas exporter. Saudi Arabia has already replaced Iran as the main energy provider in countries such as China, Pakistan and India, and has made huge investments in energy projects in these countries.
However, Qatar is also playing smart, sharply lowering its prices to clinch deals and make the right business connections. The competition for the growing natural gas market is a long game. The main possible setback for Riyadh is that its gas reserves do not match those in Qatar and Iran.
Source: SCMP
China’s growing demand for clean energy and natural gas sparks contest in the Middle East
China to fire up small test nuclear reactor to heat smog-prone north
- Compact plants proposed to ease pollution but backers must win over wary public
However, while the various designs will use only a fraction of the radioactive material of a conventional nuclear plant, officials acknowledge the biggest challenge is convincing the public the reactors are safe and reliable.
“The planned project in Jiamusi will be located in a remote area of the city which undermines its economic efficiency, but since it is just a demonstration project we just want to complete one first and show it to the public,” Wang said.
China aims to raise total nuclear capacity to 58 gigawatts by the end of next year, but it has not launched any new conventional reactors in more than three years.
Did the world’s tallest statue bring development to India?
The $430m iconic Statue of Unity in the western state of Gujarat was hailed as a symbol of development in the state. But for those who live near the statue, they’re afraid they will lose their homes and livelihoods.
Source: The BBC
China, Africa eye a community of shared future via cooperation
Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor in Beijing, capital of China, June 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)
BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) — China on Tuesday vowed to work with African countries to enhance cooperation based on equality and openness to build a community of shared future.
That came as Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the opening ceremony of the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on the China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
After reading Chinese President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to the meeting, Wang said the letter fully expressed Xi’s profound friendship toward African countries and their people, and demonstrated the Chinese government’s strong willingness to engage in friendly cooperation.
In delivering on the blueprint for China-Africa cooperation in the new era, China stands ready to work with the African side in implementing promises with concrete and effective actions, and achieving full implementation of consensus and outcomes concluded at the FOCAC Beijing Summit, Wang said.
Wang also called for sticking to the fundamental purpose of building a community of shared future and the development path of jointly constructing the Belt and Road, upholding multilateralism, and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and emerging markets.
“Any disturbance will not affect our resolve to enhance cooperation, and any difficulty will not hinder our joint advancement in achieving rejuvenation,” he said.
After the opening ceremony, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, met with four foreign ministers from African countries, including Nabeela Tunis from Sierra Leone, Simeon Oyono Esono Angue from Equatorial Guinea, Naledi Pandor from South Africa, and Amadou Ba from Senegal.
Also on Tuesday, Wang Yi met with foreign ministers from Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Uganda and Libya, and an official on economics from Eritrea.
Source: Xinhua
China, Uganda lift ties to comprehensive cooperative partnership
BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni agreed to lift their countries’ relationship to a comprehensive cooperative partnership on Tuesday.
At present, China-Uganda ties are at their best in history, as the political mutual trust has been continuously enhanced, pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and the two sides maintain close collaboration in international and regional affairs, Xi said.
He said China was willing to work with Uganda to promote the ties in the process of the joint building of the Belt and Road and the implementation of the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit.
Xi said China and Uganda should continue to understand and support each other on issues related to each other’s core interests and major concerns.
He said China is willing to strengthen exchanges with Uganda on the experience of governance, and deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure construction, trade, energy, agriculture, epidemic prevention and control, human resources, industrial parks and tourism.
“Chinese enterprises are encouraged to invest in Uganda in accordance with market-oriented principles,” Xi said.
The Chinese side appreciates the positive role played by Uganda in maintaining regional peace and stability and supports Uganda’s efforts to safeguard its own security, he said.
The Chinese president called on the two sides to jointly and clearly oppose protectionism and unilateralism, safeguard the international system and international order with the United Nations as the core, and commit themselves to building a new type of international relations and fostering a community with a shared future for mankind.
Uganda will take the establishment of the comprehensive cooperative partnership as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with China, Museveni said, expressing the willingness to learn from the Communist Party of China’s experience in state governance.
Museveni added that unilateralism was very dangerous, and that Uganda and China should strengthen communication and coordination in multilateral affairs such as those within the framework of the United Nations.
Source: Xinhua
China, African countries vow to enhance cooperation
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor in Beijing, capital of China, June 24, 2019. Naledi Pandor was here to attend the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on the China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)
BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held respective meetings with foreign ministers from nine African countries on Monday, and they pledged efforts to strengthen cooperation and uphold multilateralism.
The foreign ministers are Naledi Pandor from South Africa, Palamagamba Kabudi from Tanzania, Ezechiel Nibigira from Burundi, Aurelien Agbenonci from Benin, Nhial Deng Nhial from South Sudan, Mamadou Tangara from Gambia, Joseph Malanji from Zambia, Luis Filipe Tavares from Cape Verde, and Gbehzohngar Findley from Liberia.
The African foreign ministers are in Beijing to attend the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on the China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), with the aim of better implementing the outcomes of Beijing Summit in 2018.
While holding talks with Pandor, Wang hailed the solid mutual trust and deep-rooted traditional friendship between China and South Africa.
Wang said China and South Africa, both as major representatives of emerging markets and developing countries, should jointly safeguard the missions and principles of the United Nations Charter, champion multilateralism, uphold basic norms governing international relations, and oppose any form of unilateralism and bullying, to promote world peace, development and prosperity.
Pandor said South Africa and the whole African continent, as China’s partners for jointly resisting unilateralism and bullying practice, would stand together with China in safeguarding multilateralism and an open, inclusive global trade system.
In the meeting with Kabudi, Wang expressed China’s readiness to work with Tanzania to keep high-level exchanges, and avail the opportunity of jointly building the Belt and Road and the Coordinators’ Meeting to ensure better outcomes in bilateral cooperation.
Calling the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC a milestone, Kabudi said Tanzania is willing to facilitate cooperation in infrastructure construction, industrial capacity, and in cultural, educational sectors and other areas.
In respective meetings with Nibigira, Agbenonci, Nhial and Tangara, Wang said the current international situation is complex but China’s determination to strengthen its solidarity and friendship with African countries remains unchanged.
Nibigira said Burundi agreed with the Belt and Road Initiative and would continue to support China on issues concerning China’s core interests and major concerns.
Agbenonci said multilateralism was now the only correct choice. Only through multilateralism can the voice of small and medium-sized countries, especially African nations, be heard, he said.
Nhial said South Sudan thanked China for its help in various fields, especially its support and contributions to the peace process in South Sudan.
Tangara said since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Gambia, bilateral cooperation in various fields had developed fast, and Gambia can be trusted as a sincere partner of China.
When holding separate meetings with Malanji, Tavares and Findley, Wang said China would continue to uphold justice and pursue the shared principles of sincerity, results, affinity and good faith.
China’s cooperation with Africa is sincere and selfless, and has no geopolitical purposes, said Wang, adding that China had always followed the principle of non-interference, provided aid as Africa needed, carried out South-South cooperation, and helped achieve common development.
He said China-Africa cooperation was conducive to Africa’s infrastructure construction, economic and social benefits, and self-development.
“Africa offers a grand stage of cooperation between different countries, not an arena of major powers’ game,” said Wang, adding that “African friends will get a right conclusion on who truly attaches importance to, respect, and support Africa.”
Malanji said claims that Zambia-China cooperation had led to Zambia’s debt problem were inconsistent with the facts and China’s loans were used on the infrastructure that Zambia needs most, to promote Zambia’s economic development and bring social welfare.
Tavares said Cape Verde cherished relations with China and upheld the one-China principle. He said Cape Verde stood ready to fully implement consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance strategic dialogue, and deepen cooperation, particularly marine economy cooperation, to push bilateral relations into a new era.
Findley said China is Liberia’s true friend which has helped fight Ebola alongside Liberia and played an important role in post-epidemic reconstruction. He said Liberia is ready to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with China.
Also on Monday, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, met with all delegation heads here to attend the coordinators’ meeting.
The meeting will formally open Tuesday morning.
Source: Xinhua
India rejects U.S. report on attacks on minority Muslims
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India on Sunday rejected a U.S. State Department’s annual report on religious freedom that raised questions about the government’s inability to curb violent attacks on the country’s minority Muslims.
Preparing for a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday, India’s foreign ministry issued a stiff rejoinder to the U.S. criticism.
“India is proud of its secular credentials, its status as the largest democracy and a pluralistic society with a longstanding commitment to tolerance and inclusion,” Raveesh Kumar, the ministry’s spokesman, said in a statement.
The State Department report, released on Friday, said some senior officials from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last year had made “inflammatory speeches” against religious minorities.
Kumar said India’s constitution guarantees fundamental rights and religious freedom of all citizens, including its minority communities. Muslims make up 14 percent of India’s 1.3 billion people.
“We see no locus standi for a foreign entity to pronounce on the state of our citizens’ constitutionally protected rights,” Kumar said.
The U.S. State Department report examined attacks on minorities during 2018.
“Mob attacks by violent extremist Hindu groups against minority communities, especially Muslims, continued throughout the year amid rumours that victims had traded or killed cows for beef,” the report said.
It also noted reports by non-governmental organisations that the government sometimes failed to act on mob attacks on religious minorities, marginalized communities, and critics of the government.
While in New Delhi, Pompeo is expected to hold talks aimed at laying the ground for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Modi during a Group of 20 summit in Japan later next week.
Source: Reuters
The BeiDou-linked satnav chip tracking guns in China
- Beijing-based hi-tech firm says its technology keeps real-time tabs on firearms and is already in use in the military
But the system was already in use in various People’s Liberation Army units in Beijing and Nanjing, he said.
China has strict gun control regulations banning civilians from owning firearms. Only the military, police and some specific personnel such as armed transport crews can legally possess firearms.
Previous gun-tracking systems relied on the US-owned and operated Global Positioning System (GPS). But China hopes the BeiDou system, set to be completed in 2020, will be able to replace GPS in China and compete with it globally.
China adds new satellite to its Beidou network that aims to rival US global positioning system
BeiDou was developed for military use but also has civilian applications. It began to cover parts of China in 2000, and launched a basic global service in December 2018.
The Chinese government has ordered all of its buses, heavy trucks and fishing boats to install BeiDou technology for real-time monitoring and tracking. As of 2017, 22 million vehicles and 50,000 vessels had been equipped with BeiDou terminals.
Source: SCMP
Fears for elephants facing 1,900 mile train journey in India
Image copyright AFPAnimal rights activists in India have criticised a plan by the Assam state government to send four elephants on a perilous train journey of more than 3,100km (1,926 miles) to participate in a temple ritual. They say the long journey could be dangerous for the animals and may even kill them, writes the BBC’s Geeta Pandey in Delhi.
The elephants are to be moved from Tinsukia town in the north-eastern state of Assam to the extreme west of the country – Ahmedabad city in Gujarat state.
Reports say the railway authorities in Assam, who have been asked to make travel arrangements for the elephants, are looking for a coach to transport them.
No date is set for their departure yet, but they are expected to reach Ahmedabad before 4 July to participate in the annual Rath Yatra (chariot procession) at the Jagannath temple. The train journey is expected to take three to four days.
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In previous years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from Gujarat, has participated in the festival and the elephant procession, although temple officials say he’s not expected to attend this year.
Temple trustee Mahendra Jha told BBC Gujarati that they decided to “borrow” the animals from Assam “for two months” because three of their own elephants died from old age last year.
But activists and conservationists say the plan to move the elephants is “cruel and completely inhuman”, especially since temperatures are more than 40C (104F) in many places along the northern Indian route these elephants are expected to take.
“Most of north-western India is reeling under a heatwave. There have been reports of people dying from heat during train journeys,” Kaushik Barua, a wildlife conservationist based in the Assam state capital, Guwahati, told the BBC.
“The wagon in which the elephants will be transported is not climate-controlled. It will be hitched to a passenger train which will be travelling at a speed of 100km/h (62mph), so can you imagine the plight of the animals?”
Mr Barua warns the journey may prove “dangerous” for the animals.
“They can suffer from heatstroke, from shock, and even die.”
Under the law, he says, there’s no problem moving these elephants since all the paperwork is in order, “but where’s the animal welfare?”
Also weighing in on the debate is the opposition Congress party MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, who’s petitioned India’s Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to intervene.
“Roughly half of the country is struggling through its worst drought in six decades…. These are extreme conditions for the elephants to travel… The elephants may suffer from acute skin infection and dehydration,” Mr Gogoi wrote in his letter on Thursday.
“Therefore, I request the central government to intervene and instruct the state government to withdraw the decision as soon as possible.”
Elephants – both wild and captive – are a protected species in India and there are strict guidelines for their transportation, wildlife biologist Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar told the BBC.
According to the rules, no elephant can be made to walk for more than 30km (18 miles) at a stretch or transported for more than six hours in one go.
The state’s wildlife officials, who’ve issued transit permits for the elephants, have so far refused to comment on the controversy. But after protests from activists and conservationists, “they have gone into a huddle, discussing a plan B,” according to a wildlife expert.
Image copyright GETTY IMAGES“There’s some suggestion that the pachyderms may be moved in trucks to allow them the flexibility to stop if needed and that they could be accompanied by a forest department veterinarian to look after them,” he said.
Mr Barua, however, is blunt.
“Gujarat doesn’t need these elephants,” he says. “Wildlife laws prevent [the] display and exhibition of elephants. Laws ban performances by elephants in circuses, zoos are not allowed to exhibit them, so why should temples be allowed to use them in rituals or processions? Don’t elephants have rights?
“We worship Ganesha, the Elephant God. Why are the Gods then being put through such cruelty by a temple?”
Source: The BBC
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