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Cara posted an update 7 years, 11 months ago
China staking its claim on Uranium in Namibia: “The Husab Uranium Mine is known as one of China’s biggest single investments in Africa. Its construction and operation have been credited for alleviating the employment pressure in the southern African nation, where the unemployment rate reached 34 percent in 2016.”
https://m.apdnews.com/e-china/847569.html
The Giza Forum (Legacy)
Closed Archive of The Old Forum
“As one of the biggest uranium mines in the world, the Husab mine had 1,620 permanent employees by the end of 2017, in addition to 176 temporary employees and 522 contractors.@ China General Nuclear Power Company and other Chinese partners have a 90-percent share in the mine and the Namibian government-owned Epangelo Mining has 10 percent.
The mine produced its first uranium drum in December 2016. If its full production is realized, the mine will process 15 million tons of ore, and has an output capacity of 6,500 tons of U3O8 a year.”
“Kazakhstan Plans IPO of World’s Largest Uranium Miner
Share sale part of efforts to open up the economy of the former Soviet republic
Anatoly KurmanaevMay 17, 2018 10:37 a.m. ET
By
Anatoly Kurmanaev
ASTANA, Kazakhstan—Kazakhstan plans to sell at least 25% of the world’s largest uranium miner this year, the centerpiece of an effort to open up the economy of the former Soviet republic sandwiched between China and Russia.
The government has hired Wall Street banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., to offer shares in state-owned KazAtomProm in London or Hong Kong, the head of the mining firm’s holding company, Akhmetzhan Yessimov, said in an interview.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/kazakhstan-plans-ipo-of-worlds-largest-uranium-miner-1526567873
Namibia used to be a German colony, if I am not mistaken …
While the French send troops to / have puppet governments in the mineral rich Sahel, I wonder how will China provide protection for its stake in Namibia.
Excellent point! Shows the different approaches so far:
(1) Western approach: coercive plunder enforced using sticks (BRUTE FORCE)
(2) Eastern approach: non-coercive plunder using carrots (SOFT POWER)
Which is why China keeps a low profile, as it does not possess the sticks needed to be brash and arrogant, at least for the time being. The Chinese do have a base in Djibouti (not that far from Namibia) but I am not sure what they pan to do with it.