TOPIC COLLECTION

Oil / Gas / Mining

Included topics:
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Greenland

Opinion | Greenland’s stress test of Nato will ripple beyond the Arctic

Greenland is a test case for how alliances handle sovereignty and trust amid great power rivalry, with important consequences for Asia.

US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Why the US really wants Venezuela’s oil

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US-China relations

Can US-led bloc ease China’s ‘vice-like grip’ on rare earths?

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China’s AI and EV boom drives record power demand, widening energy gap with US

The main drivers of the growth are the tertiary sector – covering services including AI cloud services – and residential use.

A drone photo taken on December 16, 2025 shows workers on a power transmission line in east China’s Anhui Province. Photo: Xinhua

In Japan, fears of China’s antibiotics dominance spur calls for self-sufficiency

China has reportedly imposed curbs on rare earth shipments to Japan, and there are concerns that these could be extended to medical products.

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Chinese banks lure investors with gold-linked deposits amid soaring prices

Such products may offer better returns than fixed deposits, but these investments are not without risks, analyst says.

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AI is reshaping US-China tech race – can electricity tilt the balance?

Already home to world’s largest power system, Beijing moves to lock in advantage through record investment.

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A drone photo taken on December 16, 2025, shows a power transmission line in east China’s Anhui province. Photo: Xinhua

China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

Beijing’s Treasury holdings hit a September 2008 low, and analysts point to fears over Fed independence and debt sustainability, while gold’s appeal rises.

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Chinese power stocks surge on State Grid’s record US$574 billion investment plan

Utility’s five-year plan to modernise grids and boost renewables lifts electricity equipment makers as AI demand drives energy growth.

US lawmakers propose US$2.5 billion agency to boost production of rare earths

The US is moving to reduce reliance on China after Beijing used its dominance in critical minerals to gain leverage in the trade war.

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Workers use machinery to dig at a rare earth mine in Ganxian county in central China’s Jiangxi province. Photo: Chinatopix via AP

Washington completes first sale of Venezuelan oil ‘in US$500 million deal’

The White House official, who did not identify the buyer, said additional sales could take place in the coming days or weeks.

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The Nave Photon, carrying crude oil from Venezuela, is docked at Port Freeport in Freeport, Texas on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

How Chinese corruption busters are tracking down bribes paid in cryptocurrency

A documentary on state television highlights how a senior central bank official was bribed with a digital currency.

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Drink in focus: Egg Waffle cocktail at Avoca

Avoca at Mondrian Hong Kong renders the classic snack in cocktail form with Michter’s whiskey, Advocaat and more.

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

What looks like a side-effect of ‘coal-to-gas’ heating programmes is really a structural issue: rural pensions are not enough to live on.

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A worker sweeps snow in the town of Zhengding in north China’s Hebei province on January 5, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

Trump sets 180-day deadline to counter China’s control of critical minerals

US government warns global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade hurdles.

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In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat. Photo: Reuters

Opinion | High Seas Treaty will both boost China’s power and hold it accountable

Beijing realises that maritime leadership will be measured not just by fleets and bases but also by who protects the planet’s last great commons.

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Li Ka-shing’s CK Infrastructure gets nod to sell UK train leasing firm

Deal to dispose of UK Rails (Eversholt Rail), which was bought in 2015, ‘will generate substantial revenue’, company says.

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Chinese risk study finds space solar power stations could zap satellites

Beijing team finds that potential electrical discharges, though brief, could induce abnormal currents in spacecraft systems.

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Chinese researchers studying the risk of lasers in space say their findings will help guide safer parameters and the design of protective measures. Photo: Shutterstock Images

As I see it | The Chinese century may already be here

International competition will be won by nations with steady and realistic policies guided by a vision, not the ones indulging in cowboy militarism.

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Editorial | Hong Kong’s biodiversity strategy must be clear and comprehensive

The discovery of new species should prompt more concrete commitments and proactive policy coordination to conserve the city’s flora and fauna.

Can China’s cheap, renewable energy help it outrun the US in the AI race?

China’s energy buildout means cheap, green and reliable electricity fuels its manufacturing and tech industries, giving it an edge over rivals.

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Illustration: Henry Wong

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

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A worker carries a bunch of oil palm fruit at a plantation in Slim River, Malaysia. Malaysians repeatedly referenced palm oil in online jokes responding to a recent US embassy space photo, stressing the country has palm oil rather than crude petroleum. Photo: Reuters

Opinion | EU-China ties are stuck between interdependence and rivalry

To break the pattern of trade escalations with Beijing, Brussels must move beyond tariffs and invest in its own competitiveness.

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How Beijing’s clean air success left China’s rural farmers in the cold

In neighbouring Hebei province, rural residents say they cannot afford to heat their homes enough after switch from coal.

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China’s US embassy decries ‘coercion’ after Trump’s Iran tariff move

China’s embassy opposes Washington’s ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ after Trump announces a 25 per cent tariff on countries doing business with Iran.

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An Iranian police officer watches over a pro-government rally in Tehran on January 12. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Supertankers sailing to pick up Venezuelan oil for China make U-turn: ship data

The Xingye and Thousand Sunny, which have not been the subject of sanctions, head back to Asia after weeks of idling in the Atlantic.

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Several oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela. Photo: Xinhua

Japan firms seen ‘stockpiling’ rare earths as Tokyo looks to G7 amid China row

Amid fears of potential mineral export curbs by Beijing, Japanese industry is bracing, and Tokyo appears keen on a united international response.

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China prioritises export controls, supply chains to shield economy in 2026

Commerce ministry also pledges to boost domestic demand, services and two-way investment over coming year.

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Oil / Gas / Mining
The latest news on fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas), including mining, gas supply chains, carbon footprint and carbon emissions. Also covers climate science, renewable energy, batteries and lithium, plus clean energy and fuel poverty.