DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCOLOMBO, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will likely approve on Monday a proposal from Chinese state refiner Sinopec to build a $4.5-billion-dollar refinery, the South Asian island nation's energy minister said on Saturday. Sri Lanka, trying to recover from its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years, is hungry for new investment and local fuel supplies. The investment will add to Sinopec's recently started fuel retailing business, the third international company with a foothold in Sri Lanka, with a license to operates 150 petrol stations. Sinopec's fuel oil division, which runs the retail business there, began in 2019 supplying marine bunker fuel at Hambantota, another Sinopec official said. Sri Lanka's refinery at Sapugaskanda, commissioned in 1969, can process 38,000 barrels of oil a day.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Kanchana Wijesekera, Wijesekera, Vitol, Uditha Jayasinghe, Chen Aizhu, Krishn Kaushik, William Mallard Organizations: China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, REUTERS, Rights, and Energy, Reuters, Sri, China Merchant Port Holdings, Initiative, China Merchants, Thomson Locations: Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, Sri Lanka, China's, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, Colombo, Sinopec, Hambantota, Europe, Asia, Lanka's, Sapugaskanda

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The U.S. announced a $553- million project Wednesday to build a new, deep-water shipping container terminal in the Port of Colombo as it competes with China in international development financing. The U.S.-backed financing comes at a time when Sri Lanka is struggling to recover from a dire financial and economic crisis. Sri Lanka borrowed heavily from China to build the port and other infrastructure including an airport and a city being built on reclaimed land. Both neighboring India and China are jostling for influence in Sri Lanka and both have already invested in expanding facilities at the Colombo port. Colombo port also has a terminal run by China Merchants Port Holdings.

Persons: ”, Scott Nathan, Sri Lanka’s John Keells, Lanka’s, Wang Wenbin, William & Mary, AidData, China's, saysChina, Bradley Parks, “, ” ___ Didi Tang Organizations: South, U.S . International Development Finance Corp, West, Local, Sri, Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings, Initiative, Foreign Ministry, China Merchants Port Holdings, CHEC Port City Colombo Co, China Communications Construction Company, William & Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, U.S, Port, Colombo, China, Bay, Bengal, Beijing, Hambantota Port, Hambantota, India, oceanside, Port City, Virginia, “ Beijing, Washington

☆ Southeast Asia's first high-speed train – a boon or bust for Indonesia's economy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Nyshka Chandran | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

While it could improve overall economic and business productivity, those benefits may be overrun by Jakarta's soaring debt burden as project costs continue to mount. The 142-kilometre train linking Indonesia's capital to Bandung is expected to move at 350 kilometers per hour, driven by electricity with no direct carbon emissions expected during operations. However, escalating costs of the project could push up Indonesia's government debt and overshadow any short-term economic gains. Initially, the train was to be financed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China — a consortium of companies from China and Indonesia tasked with building the rail project. In that scenario, money spent on the train would have been better spent on alternative investments like irrigation projects, he said.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Arief Anshory Yusuf, Jokowi, Sri Lanka's, Mao Ning, Mao, Yusuf Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Initiative, Indonesian, Bandung's Padjadjaran University, Australian National University, PT Kereta, Indonesia China —, KCIC, China Development Bank, Reuters, of Economic, Law Studies, Nurphoto, CNBC Locations: Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, Southeast Asia, Indonesian, Surabaya, Japan, Indonesia China, China, Entebbe, Beijing, IDR

☆ India’s aircraft carriers are key to Indo-Pacific strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A naval personnel stands guard on India's largest naval ship the INS Vikramaditya as she anchors in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Jan. 21, 2016. "This is significant in terms of India's power projection capabilities, primarily within the Indian Ocean," said Viraj Solanki, a London-based expert on Indo-Pacific defense with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "This really gives India an option to display its ability to counter China within the Indian Ocean, which is the Indian navy's priority." China has not yet sailed an aircraft carrier into the Indian Ocean but is expected to do so within the next few years. "New Delhi sees Beijing as encroaching into its traditional sphere of influence, especially in the Indian Ocean region," said Ridzwan Rahmat, a Singapore-based analyst with the defense intelligence company Janes.

[1/3] Drivers push auto rickshaws in a line to buy petrol from a fuel station amid Sri Lanka's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 29, 2022. India's foreign ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters on its plans and strategic aims in Sri Lanka. New Delhi has long been concerned about China's clout in its neighbourhood, including Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. "And as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, we don't want to contribute to any escalation of tension between any countries." "Sri Lanka has clearly benefited from being the closest neighbour to the most powerful country in the region.

☆ China is using civilian ships to enhance navy capability and reach
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Aerial view of fishing boats setting sail to South China Sea for fishing on August 16, 2022 in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province of China. Hundreds of fishing boats anchored for months at a time among disputed islands in the South China Sea. The civilian vessels do more than just augment the raw numbers of ships, performing tasks that would be difficult for the military to carry out. "Because they are ostensibly civilian fishing vessels, navies' ships are unable to deal with them lest China accuse the Philippines of provoking an incident and using force against civilians," he said. In the event of a conflict, China's use of civilian vessels would complicate the rules of engagement, he said.

Search resuls for: "Hambantota Port"

6 mentions found