November
Northern Minerals narrowly fends off mystery board appointment
The miner has avoided a relatively unknown director being elected, just weeks after Treasury flagged it could put new shareholders under the microscope over suspected links to China.
- Tom Rabe
June
- Analysis
- China relations
Billions of reasons why Li was made welcome in the West
Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit underlined the importance of Western Australia to Australia’s trade relationship with China.
- Brad Thompson
Australia won’t bow to China on critical minerals
The Albanese government will not rush to give Chinese entities access to billions of dollars in incentives aimed at boosting onshore processing of critical minerals.
- Updated
- Brad Thompson
February
CITIC slashes WA iron ore volumes after feud with Clive Palmer
The Chinese conglomerate warns iron ore jobs are at risk as it runs out of patience in a battle with the maverick billionaire.
- Brad Thompson
WA lobster worth more than $150m slips through China trade ban
As it celebrates the Year of the Dragon, China is being supplied with big volumes of WA-caught “lucky red” lobster through unofficial trade routes.
- Brad Thompson
March 2023
Palmer eyes windfall after court win over Chinese conglomerate
CITIC is already paying Clive Palmer about $500 million a year in royalties, and will need to stump up even more to secure its WA mining operations.
- Brad Thompson
December 2022
Barley grower says WTO case against China trade bans should continue
Australian farmers are willing to forgive but not forget outrageous claims made by China in a complaint to the World Trade Organisation.
- Updated
- Brad Thompson
November 2022
Chinese farmer joins $50m cotton project in Australia’s far north
A Chinese company has joined forces with Aussie farming giant Ron Greentree and locals in WA’s far north to build a cotton gin helped by $34 million in financing from the federal government.
- Brad Thompson
Hundreds of thousands of WA jobs ‘dependent’ on China
Amid the Albanese government’s moves to more closely align with Japan, WA Premier Mark McGowan has backed Chinese investment in critical minerals projects.
- Brad Thompson
August 2021
- Opinion
- Commodities
China is pulling the plug on iron ore
There is not much that Scott Morrison and Mark McGowan will agree on in the months ahead. But neither will want to see China pull the plug on iron ore.
- Updated
- Grant Wilson
March 2021
Lithium plant builder sheds 400 as China’s Tianqi refuses to pay
The WA Supreme Court has given China’s Tianqi seven days to hand over $39 million to a Perth engineering firm that has shrunk from 400 workers to four amid a bitter dispute over Australia’s first lithium hydroxide plant.
- Brad Thompson
July 2020
- Opinion
- Opinion
Iron ore industry's success is exceptional – in more ways than one
Fortescue Metals Group's surging production and share price demonstrates the continuing success of Australia's iron ore industry in supplying the China market.
- Jennifer Hewett
- Analysis
- Iron ore
Iron soars in an age of shock and ore
The rally in iron ore futures to $US108 a tonne is rare good news for Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. But analysts warn strong prices won't last.
- Robert Guy
May 2020
China draws a new, red line for Australian farmers
Australia's biggest agriculture exporters say trade sanctions will hurt but not all their eggs are in the Beijing basket.
- Brad Thompson
Biggest barley exporter condemns China's tariffs
Grain trade blow comes with more than two million tonnes of barley stockpiled and Australia gearing up for biggest harvest in several years.
- Brad Thompson
October 2019
- Exclusive
- Mining
China starts new $10b Oakajee iron ore push
A Chinese state-owned entity will seek to revive a $9.7 billion mining rail and port project in Western Australia, in a move that could unlock the nation's next iron ore export province.
- Peter Ker