Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Investment News and Commentary from Emerging Markets in Asia - China, India and ASEAN





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2point6billion.com discusses investment news and events from the emerging markets of Asia - including India, China and the ASEAN countries. It is produced by the Asian foreign direct business advisors at Dezan Shira & Associates from their offices across emerging Asia.



Mining

Coal Consumption Marginalizing China’s Renewable Energy Gains

Feb. 9 – China dramatically increased its renewable energy production capacity in 2011, tripling output in solar power alone, but environmentalists warn an unwavering reliance on coal to fulfill 70 percent of its energy needs is offsetting the benefits of this new clean development, according to The Guardian.

Last year, China overtook Japan for the first time to become the world’s top importer of coal and, after increasing overall consumption of the resource by 95 million tons over the same time, China is on pace to soon be burning half of the world’s coal. As coal is considered the most damaging source of carbon dioxide emissions, these new statistics have alarmed both environmentalists as well as Chinese government officials, who are already under pressure to curb pollution and environmental degradation. Continue reading

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Indian Iron Ore Exports Plummet, China Looks Elsewhere

Dec. 26 – Iron ore exports from India to China are declining sharply, according to statistics by the Indian Ports Association. In an attempt to supply the domestic market, China is likely to search for new sources, Indian media reported.

In November, India’s major state-owned ports exported 480 million tons of iron ore, falling 35.4 percent year-on-year. Iron ore shipments through Paradip, one of the largest ports on India’s east coast in Orissa, dropped to 148.6 million tons, down 88.4 percent. Visakhapatnam port’s iron ore exports plunged to 93.3 million tons with a decrease of 35.7 percent. Iron ore exports account for 80-90 percent of India’s export capacity, of which about 70 percent is reportedly exported to China. Continue reading

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China Passes New Proposal to Control Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Nov. 10 – China’s State Council on Wednesday passed a proposal aimed at controlling greenhouse gas emissions – one of the important aspects of China’s 12th Five Year Plan – Xinhua news agency reported.

The approved plan aims to realize a 17 percent decrease in the nation’s per unit CO2 emissions by 2015. The State Council pointed out that China needs to improve its industrial structure, develop low-carbon energy sources, as well as increase forest carbon sequestration. In addition, the State Council urged the establishment of a calculation system for CO2 emissions and the promoting of a low-carbon life style across the country. According to officials with knowledge of the matter, the plan explicitly lists exact targets for CO2 emissions per unit of GDP. Continue reading

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China, India Favorites to Mine Afghanistan

Oct. 28 – Indian and Chinese companies have emerged as the top choices in the bidding for iron ore and oil deposits in Afghanistan, according to the country’s Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani.

“Two Indian bidders have emerged as the most potential companies for Hajigak,” Shahrani said, adding that the winner of the project will be announced in early November. Continue reading

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Pollution Concerns Grow Alongside Economy in China

Oct. 24 – Over the past few years, growing environmental pressure in China has forced the country to finally look into such issues as people residing near heavy industrial clusters continue to suffer from air, water and soil contamination.

At the ninth “Science and Technological Week” held by the Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology earlier this month, Wang Xiwen, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, gave a lecture about the seriousness of food security in China. Continue reading

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India, Vietnam Set to Go Ahead with South China Sea JV

Sept. 29 – Dismissing China’s recent comments strongly condemning Vietnam and India for planning oil and gas exploration in the disputed South China Sea region, India’s state-run oil firm ONGC Videsh Ltd. has said it would go ahead with its planned operations in the region.

“Energy security is among our top priorities. ONGC Videsh Ltd. has been there in Vietnam for the past 10 years. Now it is planning to sign an MoU for strategic cooperation to take the ties with Petro Vietnam forward,” said an Indian official. Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Foreign Trade, Mining, Politics | 3 Comments

India, China Vie for Australian Coal Fields

Sept. 21 – China and India, two emerging Asian giants boasting huge populations and rapid economic growth, are seen as the major drivers in the push to revive the world’s economy. However, the two countries’ needs for natural resources is growing at the same speed as their economies and, in an attempt to satisfy those needs, China and India have started a fierce competition to acquire natural resources.

The latest example of this is both countries’ interest in Australia’s second largest coal field – the northern Galilee Basin in Queensland. Although production on the field won’t begin for another three years, Indian and Chinese companies have already contracted all but 1.2 billion of the more than 20 billion tons of coal resources in the basin. Continue reading

Posted in Business, Energy, Featured, Foreign Trade, Mining | 2 Comments




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