Energy resources

Taliban soldiers celebrate on the second anniversary of the fall of Kabul on a street near the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 15 August 2023. (Ali Khara/Reuters)

Is China engaged in resource politics in Afghanistan?

With increasing stakes in Afghanistan's vast mineral and energy deposits, China is engaged in resource politics in the war-wracked but resource-rich country. Maintaining control of the country's strategic mineral and energy reserves is the name of China's new great game in Afghanistan.
Smoke rises from chimneys near solar panels in Shaanxi province, China, 24 April 2023. (Tingshu Wang/File Photo/Reuters)

Are Chinese solar giants flying too close to the sun?

With capacity already exceeding demand, analysts and investors are starting to question if the plans of China's solar panel makers to double down on their investment and expand are justified.
A BYD Co. Dolphin electric vehicle at the Smart China Expo in Chongqing, China, on 4 September 2023. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

Is China's EV rise a true success?

The EV adventure in China has been successful in some respects, not least with 5.9 million EVs sold on the Chinese market, amounting to 59% of EVs sold globally. However, as a means to reduce climate change, the effort has tended to “put the cart in front of the horse”, because EVs are not particularly environmentally friendly without a steady stream of renewable electricity supply. Academic Erik Baark lays out the factors involved.
A supporter holds a picture of Niger General Abdourahamane Tiani, the chief of the powerful presidential guard, as with others rally in support of Niger's junta in Niamey on 30 July 2023. (AFP)

Domino effect in West Africa: Niger coup destabilises China's expanding economic footprint

The recent Niger coup and conflicts from Mali to Burkina Faso, Chad and Sudan have cast uncertainty on the future of Chinese economic diplomacy in the Sahel and other parts of Africa. Academic Alessandro Arduino explains.
China's energy storage sector is experiencing rapid growth but also facing some serious challenges. (iStock)

Five factors powering China’s energy storage boom

China's energy storage sector is experiencing rapid growth due to an accelerated uptake of renewables in the country’s energy mix and other factors. But the booming industry also faces some serious challenges. Here are five things to know about China’s energy storage industry.
Workers monitor the nickel melting process at a nickel smelter of PT Vale Tbk in Sorowako, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, 30 March 2023. (Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters)

Indonesia's Chinese investment-dominated nickel industry: Social and environmental safeguards needed

Acknowledged as a key industry in the National Mid-Term Development Plan 2015-2019, Indonesia's nickel industry has witnessed significant investments, especially from China. While the industry faced a boom from the Russian-Ukraine conflict and the easing of China’s zero-Covid policy, the unchecked growth of Class 2 nickel production from Indonesia could cause oversupply in global markets and suppress the commodity’s price. In crafting new policies, Indonesia must also prioritise stronger social and environmental safeguards.
Tanks of decontaminated tritiated water are seen within the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority is debating whether to dump into the sea water which has been decontaminated but still contains tritium. (SPH Media)

Japanese academic: A hard look at the true impact of Fukushima Daiichi water release

Amid protests by Japan's neighbours, China and South Korea, as well as by environmentalists about Japan's impending release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Japanese academic Koji Okamoto explains that the radioactive substance “tritrium” present in the treated water to be released is naturally present in the environment. In fact, the release of the treated water is of negligible impact compared to the originally present tritium or tritium being released in currently operational nuclear power plants around the world.
A woman walks on a street during a sandstorm in Shenyang, in China's northeastern Liaoning province on 11 April 2023. (AFP)

China's struggle to meet 'dual carbon' targets and stand proud at COP28 climate summit

With just about six months to go to the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai, how is China stepping up its transition to a low-carbon economy and is it on track to achieve a peak in carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060?
Visitors view a BYD Dolphin EV at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok, Thailand, 23 March 2023. (Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo/Reuters)

China’s EV battery boom goes bust

China’s auto market has been rattled by a brutal price war since late last year amid slowing sales. Sales of electric vehicles have plunged since a government subsidy expired at the end of last year and as consumers remain hesitant about spending.