I think China wants increased equity in Australian resource firms to influence export prices
And to influence where it goes. I made the point in an earlier post that countries can "lock up" resources by miltary means or by simply buying them "in the ground". If China owns 60% of this "Australian" venture, who do you think the oil will go to when China and Australia both need oil?
In the same vein we could ask whether the Brits want coal seam methane to sell in Australia or to send back to Old Blighty. Note that Indian interests now own a few coal and iron ore shows as well as much of Burrup ammonia. Which gets us back to why half a million people had to die in Iraq. No doubt a few countries now think Aussies are economic imperialists thanks to BHP and others.
I'd liken the mining industry to musical chairs. Everybody knows it won't be possible to dig up billions of tonnes of rock when oil nosedives and the music stops. The aim is to have a nice patch of ground to sit on.
And to influence where it goes. I made the point in an earlier post that countries can "lock up" resources by miltary means or by simply buying them "in the ground". If China owns 60% of this "Australian" venture, who do you think the oil will go to when China and Australia both need oil?
In the same vein we could ask whether the Brits want coal seam methane to sell in Australia or to send back to Old Blighty. Note that Indian interests now own a few coal and iron ore shows as well as much of Burrup ammonia. Which gets us back to why half a million people had to die in Iraq. No doubt a few countries now think Aussies are economic imperialists thanks to BHP and others.
I'd liken the mining industry to musical chairs. Everybody knows it won't be possible to dig up billions of tonnes of rock when oil nosedives and the music stops. The aim is to have a nice patch of ground to sit on.