Chinese battery factory for Hungary

15/11/2023 CEN2 0

Recently, China’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited), reached an agreement with Hungary to build a battery factory worth 7.34 billion euros. This is the largest-scale investment ever obtained by the country and will become the largest battery factory in the region once completed. Why did China award such a large order to Hungary? Located in Central Europe, Hungary is currently a member of the […]

Climate loss-&-damage fund clash

11/11/2023 CEN2 0

A major clash between developing nations and the West evident in lead up to COP28 at end of November. Last year’s UN Climate Change summit (COP27) in Egypt marked a victory for developing nations when they secured agreement to establish a new fund to support the victims of climate disasters – an idea many developing countries had been advancing for decades. A transitional committee (composed of members from developed and developing countries) […]

China renovates Mexico City metro

10/11/2023 CEN2 0

A key Mexico City subway line has received a modern makeover with the help of China’s experience in providing mass transit solutions.  The Metro Line 1 officially restarted operation last week. Refurbishment work has helped modernize the line, which had been in operation for half a century. The Mexico City Metro Line 1, refurbished by a Chinese company, is back in operation, marking a significant milestone in Sino-Mexican relations, as […]

Nature’s soil seedbanks

09/11/2023 CEN2 0

A research team of Chinese scientists is investigating the potential for natural soil seedbanks to help plant communities to resist the detrimental impact of environmental disturbance, including climate change. Unlike most other biological groups, plant species can possess dormant life-history stages such as the soil seed bank, which may help plants adapt to environmental changes. The scientists, six from Yangtze University, Hubei and one from Tianshui Normal University, Tianshui in China […]

Nigeria’s BRI Mega-Projects

07/11/2023 CEN2 0

Railways and Mega-Projects: Realizing Nigeria’s Prosperity Dream. In this article commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Belt & Road Initiative, Nigeria’s ambitious mega-infrastructure dreams take center stage. Nigeria’s Rail Renaissance: A Century in the Making Nigeria’s railway heritage stretches back over a century. However, after decades of underinvestment and mismanagement, the once-vibrant system crumbled, making travel arduous, particularly between the northern business hub of Kaduna and the capital, Abuja. Nigeria, with […]

China’s Decarbonisation

07/11/2023 CEN2 0

Six reasons to stay confident about China’s decarbonisation. Hongqiao Liu looks at the indicators that China remains on course in its decarbonisation endeavours: Three years back, President Xi Jinping of China unveiled its commitment to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and attain carbon neutrality by 2060. This commitment has expedited China’s decarbonisation efforts as part of China’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Long-term Strategy (LST) to the United Nations. […]

BRI boosting world science

06/11/2023 CEN2 0

China’s BRI is boosting science, says journal Nature. THE WEST MUST ENGAGE, NOT WITHDRAW The following is an excerpt from the editorial on 24 October 2023 in the world’s leading science journal, Nature. In science, the BRI is coming into its own. In 2019, Nature travelled to a large construction site where a new university was being built. The Pak-Austria Fachhochschule, a collaboration between Austria, China and Pakistan, opened in 2020. Its first […]

Spreading science to Global South

06/11/2023 CEN2 0

Article by Alex Lo, from the South China Morning Post. Belt and Road Initiative is spreading science and technology across Global South. The 10th anniversary of the massive global infrastructure program recalls how it is working closely with developing countries to acquire much-needed technical know-how for growth and development.SCMP According to the standard Western narrative, China’s Belt and Road Initiative is all about laying debt traps and building white elephants […]