Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC COLLECTION

Basic Resources & Mining

Included topics:
The US and China are discussing ways to strengthen military links – a rare bright spot in the relationship. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | China, US may unveil measures to boost military ties when Xi visits Washington

Two sides have been discussing ways to improve communication channels, according to sources familiar with the talks.

John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong eyeing gold expansion and Northern Metropolis vaults to cement hub status

Banking & finance

How will Hong Kong’s new 5-year plan court global capital?

Exchange Fund may buy more gold to support Hong Kong’s trading hub ambitions

A larger allocation to precious metals could improve diversification and align with the city’s gold hub strategy, says HKMA’s Eddie Yue.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Eddie Yue Wai-man. Photo: Edmond So

Gold rebounds after Fed rate rise as banks back long-term demand outlook

Investment banks say central bank purchases and demand from China and India should support bullion prices.

Hong Kong targets gold trading, FPS-UnionPay link to boost yuan use

‘We will consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre,’ John Lee says.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Hong Kong to woo finance and tech firms with new tax breaks

Chief Executive John Lee says Hong Kong aims to attract more commodity traders to set up or expand their businesses in city.

videocam
Hong Kong has already launched a trial gold clearing and settlement system involving 11 Chinese and international banks. Photo: Edmond So

Scott Bessent confirms weekend meeting with He Lifeng days before Xi’s US visit

US Treasury Secretary to meet Chinese Vice Premier for final preparatory talks between two sides before key Trump-Xi summit in Washington.

China targets overseas brokerages in crackdown on pay loopholes and corruption

The move extends Beijing’s regulatory reach to financial institutions’ overseas activities, which have been a grey zone for corruption.

China’s oil demand could falter as Saudi pipeline shutdown raises costs

Supply relatively insulated in short term, but refiners could cut run rates amid rising crude prices, freight costs, analysts say.

A Vantor satellite image shows damage to a facility of the Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline after a strike on September 11. Photo: Handout via Reuters

J.D. Vance group courted Brazil opposition candidate for anti-China deal: report

Senator’s logo appears on a plan to trade rare earths and position against Beijing in exchange for support on his presidential bid.

19
Senator and right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro is seen during a rally in Brazil on August 17. Photo: AFP

Open Questions | Private equity’s Fang Fenglei on investing in China

Veteran investor considers China’s economic strengths, assets that appeal, future yuan appreciation and policymakers’ ability to solve problems.

videocam

Exclusive | AI fight shadows final preparations for Xi Jinping’s White House visit

Chinese side is said to view US requests as limiting both harmful outcomes from AI and Beijing’s ability to develop its own capabilities.

6

Gold jewellery loses its lustre as Chinese switch focus to bars and coins

High prices and decline in marriages cited as reasons for one-third drop in jewellery sales in first half of year.

Gold bars at a precious metals dealership in Munich, Germany. Photo: dpa

US says China ‘on track’ to fulfil farm purchases ahead of Xi’s Washington visit

Trump administration trade official says ‘China is ramping up their purchases’ and business is progressing well between two countries.

videocam
4
A farmer harvests a soybean plot in Colt, Arkansas. China has met its commitment to buy US soybeans in the 2025 season, a Trump administration trade official says. Photo: Handout

Japan’s China-facing military push tests labour, budget and political limits

Amid ambitious transformation driven by risk it could be drawn into a Taiwan conflict, Tokyo tackles tough obstacles at home, analysts say.

videocam
32

Purity of China quartz deposit ‘highly similar’ to US Spruce Pine standard: study

Geologists identify Xiaohuaguo site in central Hubei, unlocking potential silica resources for solar panels and semiconductor production.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Opinion | Trump’s Venezuela oil deal: why China can wait and watch

Beijing’s response reflects a calculation that the deal’s fragility will soon show. Energy dominance is not seized by executive order – it is earned through capital, technology and time.

videocam
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Marco Rubio arrives in Colombia with China ties, trade deals on agenda

Washington’s top diplomat lands in Barranquilla on first leg of three-country tour, with critical minerals, civil nuclear deals to be signed.

videocam

Will Tesla’s rare-earth-free motor put China’s trade trump card at risk?

Elon Musk says Tesla’s new Cybercab motor has no rare earths, but analysts saw the move as only a slight step towards reducing industry reliance – or China’s leverage.

videocam
34

Copper rally sets record LME price as US tariff fears fuel supply ‘scramble’

Inventories of the metal are diverging across major exchanges as AI infrastructure build-up spurs demand and potential trade restrictions keep prices elevated.

videocam
A worker prepares copper rod products for transport at a workshop in China’s Jiangsu province earlier this year. Photo: Xinhua

Oil prices near US$100 a barrel as Saudi oil facility attack raises supply risk

Geopolitical tensions and strikes on energy infrastructure are tightening supply expectations, threatening to push oil higher and curb China’s appetite for imports.

videocam
6
The price of diesel is displayed at a petrol station in New York on Friday. The national average price of retail diesel hit a record high on Thursday as the cost of crude oil rebounded. Photo: Xinhua

Can China bring in more bullion as central banks shift gold reserves from US?

Geopolitical tensions and US dollar concerns have seen Shanghai and Hong Kong step up efforts to build gold storage infrastructure.

10

A potential food crisis threatens the world, but impact on China may be limited

El Nino fears and disruptions to Ukraine’s grain exports are driving up global crop prices, but China’s robust supplies temper the impact.

Bullish chorus grows: Wall Street backs gold despite US job growth, hawkish Fed

Record buying spree by central banks offsets Fed tightening fears, pushing gold towards US$5,000 by year-end, investment banks forecast.

Gold is back in favour among investors even as expectations mount for higher US interest rates, which traditionally weigh on the metal. Photo: Reuters

How Hong Kong can cash in as reserve managers rethink where to store gold

City in race to lure bullion custody as geopolitical risks intensify scrutiny of gold storage, Goldman Sachs report says.

4
Where central banks store gold appears increasingly a growing priority for reserve managers, according to a Goldman Sachs report. Photo: Getty Images

Why younger investors worldwide are stashing physical gold despite price swings

Gen Z buyers are driving demand for bullion, spurred by geopolitical tensions, inflation and the appeal of owning gold outright.

China rivalry ‘no excuse’: Democrats allege corruption in Trump’s mining deals

Lawmakers say strategic competition over critical minerals doesn’t justify abandoning safeguards that prevent funds from being misused.

videocam
12
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.