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TOPIC COLLECTION

Basic Resources & Mining

Included topics:
Chinese analysts say Washington’s reckless behaviour under President Donald Trump has alienated allies, weakened its credibility and eroded its global influence. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

Is the US in decline? Why Iran war might be the surest sign

In going from international rule-maker to ‘predatory hegemon’, the US is risking it all, Chinese state media and observers warn.

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Semiconductors

Asia’s chipmakers feel the heat as naphtha crunch hits photoresist supply

China-Middle East relations

Opinion | China can offer Gulf states more than just a security umbrella

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Malaysia’s durian growers in ‘survival mode’ as early glut squeezes export trade

An early bumper harvest and rising fuel and freight costs are squeezing premium durian exporters as they race to get their fruit into China.

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Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13. Photo: Simon Song

Video | World’s top condom maker to raise prices over Iran war

Malaysian condom producer Karex plans to raise condom prices by up to 30%.

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

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America First Fed? Trump pick Warsh signals ‘monetary sovereignty’: analysts

Potential successor to Jerome Powell may pursue policies that pressure US dollar-driven assets and curb global liquidity, analysts say.

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Kevin Warsh, nominee for US Federal Reserve chair, testifies on Tuesday during a Senate Banking Committee hearing in Washington. Photo: TNS

Why China is backing nuclear fuel rod production in Namibia

On week-long trip to China, Namibian minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi pitches investment case to business leaders in Shenzhen.

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China confronts Middle East supply shock, as State Council mulls energy strategy

Premier Li Qiang urges ‘bottom-line mentality’ to secure power as Beijing sees coal and Russian gas among options to offset reliance on imported crude.

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US firms dash to recover tariffs paid on Chinese imports as refund system starts

Companies scramble on Monday to recover illegally collected tariffs from US government as thousands rush to file claims.

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Companies scramble on to recover illegally collected tariffs from US government. Photo: AFP

Liquid courage: Hong Kong fund pitches whisky as alternative investment

Fund pitches spirit as hedge and sees downturn as a rare entry point, citing emotional buying and shifting consumption trends.

Whisky has been gaining traction among wealthy investors seeking alternatives to traditional safe havens, according to an investment firm. Photo: Shutterstock

Trump backs US$50 million investment for South Africa rare earths

Despite a rift with South Africa, the current Trump administration has proceeded with the project to broaden US access to critical minerals.

Letters | Amid elevated oil prices, Hong Kong’s stable energy system is a boon

Readers discuss the city’s electricity regime, the significance of Russian oil, and the KMT leader’s visit to mainland China.

‘Sharp swings’: why China is warning of food security risks despite bumper crops

The country has ample grain supplies but could still face challenges if extreme weather or global conflict spark global shortages, Beijing says.

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A worker sorts imported soybeans at a processing company in Binzhou, China, on March 6, 2025. Photo: Getty Images

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

Economic sanctions, access to US-led banking systems are powerful tools, but overuse reduces their effectiveness over time, Congress told.

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China has been patiently chipping away at the US dollar’s global dominance, and Washington may even be doing it a favour. Photo: dpa

Asia-Pacific firms face credit pressure from Iran war energy shock, S&P says

Higher energy prices ratchet up pressure on manufacturing businesses to maintain their profit margins amid rising raw material costs.

‘Won’t back down’: Greer seeks more funding for Trump’s trade wars

US trade chief says more resources needed to expand trade probes and counter China, warning farmers remain exposed ahead of Beijing summit.

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‘New normal’: Malaysia and Australia strike energy supply pledge amid Iran war

The deal creates a mutual spillover valve, allowing the partners to swap surplus energy once domestic demand is satisfied.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meet at a press conference in Putrajaya on Thursday. Photo: AAP/dpa

Geopolitics to drive Hong Kong mining fundraising amid ‘supercycle’, experts say

Hong Kong could see more mining IPOs as global demand for resources accelerates, though national security issues may slow deals: experts.

The next frontier: China maps seabed resources as Japan races to tap rare earths

Atlas charts location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments.

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US officials claim China is ‘hoarding’ oil. What does the data say?

While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China is stockpiling crude amid the Iran war, the numbers suggest Beijing is facing a supply crunch.

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A woman walks past a giant billboard reading “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran. Photo: TNS

Editorial | Hong Kong has a gilt-edged opportunity to shine as gold trading hub

The rapid loss of confidence in the US opens the door for China and especially Hong Kong.

A dealer displays gold bars in a shop in Dubai’s Gold Souk on April 13. Photo: AFP

China and the US want rare earths. Brazil will share – on one condition

Move comes as Washington locks US$565 million deal with Brazil’s only operating rare earth mine.

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Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

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China turns to central Asia as US blockade in Hormuz chokes global energy flows

Chinese vice-premier to visit major gas field in Turkmenistan as Beijing aims to shore up energy security and diversify away from volatile maritime routes.

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In this 2013 image, President Xi Jinping stands alongside a model of the purification plant in Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field during an opening ceremony. Photo: Getty Images

US painter becomes Hong Kong Artists Association’s first non-Chinese member

Vermont native Nissa Kauppila talks about fusing Eastern and Western painting styles on discarded materials following her recent induction.

Nissa Kauppila at her home studio in Mui Wo on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island. The Vermont native, who recently became the first non-ethnic-Chinese practitioner accepted into the Hong Kong Artists Association, specialises in painting natural motifs on discarded materials. Photo: Nissa Kauppila

Brussels must resist ‘passive’ role in US-China trade war, EU chamber urges

European companies keep becoming ‘collateral damage’ in others’ disputes, laments president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

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Why the US may need more than just fixing gaps to rival China on rare earths

Washington’s mining ambitions may be complicated by the erosion of industrial know-how and a weak education pipeline, experts say.

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Basic Resources & Mining
The latest news on global resources and mining, including metals, precious metals, mineral producers and mining companies, including Rio Tinto. Also covers news on coal, iron, diamonds and lithium.