Emerging powers news roundup

A) Trade, Investment and Aid

1) Chinese investors show interest in Olokola deep seaport
More Chinese investors have indicated interest in the development of a deep seaport at Olokola Free Trade Zone in Ogun, Nigeria.
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2) China pledges more backing to Kenya
China will support Kenya to overcome challenges posed by the current global economic crisis, incoming Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Deng Hongbo has said.
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3) Chinese Miner Buys Into Kenya Titanium Project
Chinese mining company Jinchuan has purchased a 70 per cent stake in Canada-based Tiomin Kenya Ltd in order to finance a delayed titanium and precious minerals mining project in Kenya.
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4) China Expands Investment in South Africa and the Whole Continent
Although trade has declined between China and Africa in the global slowdown, China still sees this as a good time to expand investment in Africa. With the help of the China-Africa Development Fund (CADF), China's large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are entering the field of industrial infrastructure in South Africa.
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5) U.S.-Africa Trade Has Growing Potential
Exports to the U.S. from sub-Saharan Africa fell nearly 60% year-on-year in the first half of 2009. Nevertheless, the U.S. remains a significant trading partner for African countries with the prospect for deeper ties, despite the current dominance of oil in trade relations and increasing competition from China in the region.
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6) WB chief wants CIC in Africa
Robert B. Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, has spent half of his time during his latest trip to China in persuading local companies including the country's sovereign fund to invest in Africa.
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7) Namibia set to supply uranium, diamonds direct to India
The Namibian government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on geology and mineral resources and an agreement on coopera- tion in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy with its Indian counterpart, which will see the African country supplying uranium to the South Asian country to power the latter’s civilian nuclear power plants.
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8) India to invest $10 billion in IMF
India is to invest up to $10 billion in the International Monetary Fund as part of a major thrust to wrest a greater say in the running of international financial institutions, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced.
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9) Standard Bank sees Chinese returning to Africa
Standard Bank Group, Africa's top bank by assets, expects to seal a dozen major lending deals in Africa in cooperation with its China partner in the next year, as resource-hungry Chinese firms begin returning to the continent.
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10) Brazil's Big Interest in Exploring Phosphates in Middle East
Bilateral investment was among the main themes discussed by the Brazilian foreign minister, Celso Amorim, with representatives of the top echelon of the government of Tunisia Tunis during a recent visit.
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11) Former nuclear pariah India seeks uranium stocks
Energy-starved India, armed with permission to buy atomic fuel from around the world after the end of a three-decade ban, is courting new partners alongside old friends in its global hunt for uranium.
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12) Egypt looks to China to make up FDI shortfall
Egypt is seeking increased direct investment from China in a bid to shore up dwindling overseas backing for the northern African country amid the global economic downturn.
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B. Company News

1) Asian Multinational Corporations Poised for Global Success
Asian Multinational Corporations Poised for Global Success and Asian Region
May be World's Most Influential Economy by 2020. Multinational corporations based in China, India, Japan and South Korea have unprecedented opportunity to succeed in the current global business environment, according to a study released by international communications and public affairs consultancy Fleishman-Hillard on the sidelines of the WEF in Dalian.
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2) MTN shareholders want more from $24bn accord with Bharti
MTN Group shareholders want more for their stakes in Africa's biggest cellular operator after it reached a $24 billion (R181bn) share purchase accord with India's Bharti Airtel, the first step in their planned merger.
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3) Angola blocks sale of Marathon field stake to China
Angola has blocked the sale of Marathon Oil's 20% stake in an oil block in the African nation to Chinese state owned firms CNOOC and Sinopec
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4) Bharti sweetens MTN offer as deal deadline looms
Indian mobile operator Bharti Airtel's move to sweeten a $24-billion deal with South Africa's MTN is a key step in reaching an agreement as a deadline nears, analysts and sources said on Friday.
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5) China's CNPC gets $30 bln loan for overseas buys
China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), parent of Asia's largest oil and gas producer PetroChina said it secured a $30 billion state loan to fund overseas expansion, as Beijing seeks to secure resources for the world's fastest-growing major economy.
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C. Cooperation, Strategic Partnerships and Global Issues

1) China-Tanzania cooperation fruitful in various fields
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Liu Xinsheng termed the bilateral relations between China and Tanzania as an "example" of sincere cooperation and unity between China and Africa, even among the developing countries.
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2) South Africa, India are strategic partners, says SA Trade and Industry Minister
South Africa and India both agree that their bilateral relationship is a strategic one, said South African Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies last week. “India is already South Africa’s tenth-largest foreign investor,” he highlighted.
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3) India says WTO stand-off is over, Doha talks will resume
India hosted a meeting of the world’s trade ministers which aimed to revive the stalled Doha round of trade negotiations.
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4) City of Cape Town Strengthens Relations with China
The Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Dan Plato, and the Mayor of the City of Huangshan, Song Guoquan, signed a friendship agreement that will facilitate closer economic ties between the two cities.
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5) Chinese President puts forward four proposals for improving ties with Central Africa
President Hu Jintao put forward four proposals for improving ties with Central Africa when meeting with his counterpart Francois Bozize Yangouvonda.
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D. Rivalries and Tensions

1) Maldives, Mauritius new centres of Sino-Indian rivalry
For a change, India is responding swiftly to the intended Chinese encroachment in a region it has seen as its traditional sphere of influence.
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2) China Oil Deal Is New Source of Strife Among Iraqis
While the relationship between the CNPC and the Iraqi government has gone smoothly, the presence of a foreign company with vast resources drilling for oil in the province of Wasit, a poor, rural corner of Iraq has awakened a wave of discontent.
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3) China will come on our terms
China is one of the few countries close to the long-embattled Zimbabwe government, but that did not deter Mutambara from challenging Beijing to do more to help development.
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E. Agricultural Scramble

1) SA farmers in new scramble for Africa
South Africa is joining a “green rush” for the African continent. The Republic of the Congo has offered Agri SA 10-million hectares for South African farmers to produce maize and soya beans as well as to establish dairy and poultry farms.
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F. FOCAC News

1) Ugandan President commissions school donated by Chinese government
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday commissioned a secondary school in central Uganda donated by the Chinese government to boost education in the East African country.
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2) Interview: Zimbabwe benefits a great deal through FOCAC
Zimbabwe has benefited a great deal over the past years through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Secretary for Regional Integration and International Cooperation for Foreign Ministry, Tadeous Chifamba, said.
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