In 2025, central banks around the world bought 863 tonnes— nearly $100 billion worth—of physical gold, making it the fourth largest year for central bank gold purchases in over 15 years (World Gold Council). When such large institutions are stacking gold, it can be natural to wonder: Why are they buying so much gold? Who’s purchasing all this gold? Should …
Continue ReadingUS access to critical minerals from China remains difficult due to export controls and licensing delays, a US business lobby said on Wednesday, with Beijing’s restrictions driving three-quarters of impacted companies to search for new supplies. Introduced in April 2025 in retaliation for US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Beijing’s controls tightly restrict exports of certain rare earths crucial for advanced …
Continue ReadingChinese reactions to Treasurer Jim Chalmers’s decision to order six China-linked investors to divest their holdings in Northern Minerals tells us far more than the decision itself. China’s Global Times publication condemned the move as irrational ‘de-sinicisation’. It argued that Australia lacked the manufacturing capability, technological depth and industrial capacity needed to build a successful critical minerals industry without China. If the editorial was …
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