Republic of Guinea (in Africa)

Simandou
- http://www.economist.com/news/business/21635522-africas-largest-iron-ore-mining-project-has-been-bedevilled-dust-ups-and-delays-crying-foul the saga of Simandou, a mining project mired in allegations of corruption, expropriation and corporate espionage.
- http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2016-11/07/content_27292934.htm The giant Simandou iron ore mine in Guinea caused countless headaches for Rio Tinto Group, but it was always worth the fight. Not any more. Rio turned its back on Simandou, one of the world's largest untapped iron ore deposits, by signing a non-binding agreement with partner Aluminum Corp of China to hand over its stake. Rio may receive as much as $1.3 billion should the mine be built.
- http://www.economist.com/news/business/21714388-billionaires-and-big-companies-have-come-cropper-one-worlds-poorest
-  https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/25/beny-steinmetz-settles-dispute-guinea-iron-ore-simandou The mining group controlled by the controversial tycoon Beny Steinmetz is to walk away from a massive iron ore project in Guinea as part of an agreement that settles a long-running corruption dispute with the west African nation. Development of Simandou – one of the world’s biggest iron deposits, containing billions of tonnes of high-grade ore – has been hindered by years of legal wrangling as well as the enormous cost of the required infrastructure, estimated at more than $20bn (£15bn).Guinea had levelled corruption allegations at Steinmetz’s BSG Resources (BSGR) and stripped the company of its rights to the Simandou blocks and the smaller Zogota concession.


China
- leaders visit

• http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2016-11/03/content_27263744.htmPresident Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China is ready to develop resource cooperation with Guinea to push forward the construction of infrastructure projects in the West African country. "We support Guinea to transfer its resource advantages to development achievements," Xi said while meeting with his Guinean counterpart Alpha Conde in Beijing. The two top leaders witnessed the signing of 10 deals in fields including aviation, health, financing and visa facilitation.

- Oct 24 China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) signed a $770 million contract with Guinea's government on Monday to upgrade the port in the capital, Conakry, expanding Chinese economic influence in the West African iron and bauxite producer. Under the contact, CHEC, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Co Ltd, will construct three docks, roads and other infrastructure in the eastern zone of the port, providing parking for up to 600 trucks.http://www.reuters.com/article/guinea-economy-idUSL8N1CU6UA
- CNR may get contract for railway project in Republic of Guinea http://www.africaintelligence.com/AMA/exploration-production/2015/01/13/simandou-rio-tinto-in-rail-and-port-talks-with-china-cnr-corp,108056369-ART , http://www.hkcd.com.hk/pdf/201501/0114/HZ14114CZXX.pdf


Hong Kong
- https://www.ft.com/content/ab829b86-c1f6-11e6-81c2-f57d90f6741a A secretive Hong Kong conglomerate that has cut multi-billion-dollar deals in Africa orchestrated a bribery scheme to advance its quest for the continent’s resources, according to a US court filing and contracts seen by the Financial Times. The conglomerate, informally known as the Queensway Group, is already under scrutiny after its frontman — a globetrotting middleman with seven names and ties to China’s intelligence services — was detained in a Communist party corruption investigation last year. On Tuesday FBI agents in New York arrested Mahmoud Thiam, a former UBS banker who, during a stint as mining minister in the mineral-rich west African state of Guinea, agreed a $7bn resources and infrastructure deal with Queensway Group companies in 2009.
- news supp

• scmp special report 5mar18