China Update
Published by MAC on 2006-05-30
China Update
30th May 2006
China, India and Brazil could reduce their energy use by a quarter, according to a new World Bank/UNEP report - so long as banks put their money where their mouths pretend to be.
Despite historical emnities, China has also initiated a dialogue with Japan, to help the former"save energy and protect the environment." The prospective deal would involve Japan advising on coal mining - although the country has only one surviving underground coal mine.
As originally outlined on the MAC site last month [see: http://www.minesandcommunities.org/Action/press991.htm]
China has increased its investments in African natural resource "capture", advancing into Zimbabwe, Eritrea, DRCongo, Zambia and Sudan.
One obvious trigger for this is the recent rapprochement between the US and Libya, allowing the Bush regime access to a huge pool of middle eastern oil supplies.
That hasn't pleased China's own rightwing leadership which views this as a threat to tits own designs on Africa.