China's belt loosening
China's economy isn't skipping ahead as it once did, but its role as an engine for global expansion is only rising
There is a Chinese proverb that says: "To become rich, one must first build roads." As IMF president Christine Lagarde pointed out in mid-May during China's Belt and Road summit, with roads goes new ports, power and other industrial infrastructure as well as vastly improved social benefits from schooling to health. It's only now that economists are beginning to recognise that the vast Belt and Road (or One Belt, One Road—Obor) initiative, popularly known as the "Silk Road", will drive demand for energy right across the region for years to come. And Obor is gathering momentum at the very time that the Chinese economy is steadily becoming more consumption than manufacturing and capital-led. Ac
Also in this section
24 January 2025
Domestic companies in Nigeria and other African jurisdictions are buying assets from existing majors they view as more likely to deliver production upside under their stewardship
23 January 2025
The end of transit, though widely anticipated, leaves Europe paying a third more for gas than a year ago and greatly exposed to supply shocks
23 January 2025
The country’s government and E&P companies are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to increase domestic crude output as BP–ONGC tie-up leads the way
22 January 2025
The return of Donald Trump gives further evidence of ‘big oil’ as an investable asset, with the only question being whether anyone is really surprised
