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Leading Indicators: Off the Radar News Roundup

Judah Grunstein | Bio | 08 Feb 2010

- The U.S. decision to follow through on Taiwan arms sales might have damaged U.S.-China relations, but for now, it doesn't seem to have had an impact on China-Taiwan relations, in particular upcoming trade talks.

- China will turn to increased imports of Luiquefied Natural Gas to relieve energy shortfalls, according to a report citing the director of its National Energy Administration.

- The U.S. and China continued their burgeoning trade skirmish, swapping tariffs on chicken products and gift ribbons. Pretty ignominious stuff for a battle of the titans.

- Could Gazprom participate in Nabucco? That's what Richard Morningstar, the U.S. envoy for Eurasian energy affairs, suggested at a recent conference. That would be a curious outcome for a pipeline whose original purpose was to reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas. But the only other alternative would be using Iranian gas to supply the project, something Morningstar has also suggested be considered in offhand comments at a Nabucco meeting last year. Both remarks are probably irresponsible for an official energy envoy, which of course means that I'm officially a big Richard Morningstar fan.

- Contrary to previous reports, Russia has begun construction of its fourth Borey-class nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered submarine. The subs will be ultimately be equipped with the Bulava sub-launched nuclear missile, if Moscow ever gets that to fly straight. Four more subs are scheduled to be built by 2015.

- Russia loaned Sri Lanka $300 million to buy Russian-made arms and service previously purchased material. That's pretty lousy timing, coming in the aftermath of a Sri Lankan election that did nothing to resolve the lingering social grievances behind the recently defeated Tamil insurgency, and on the day the losing presidential candidate and former commanding general of the Sri Lankan military was arrested.

- Russia and Argentina signed an MoU for civil nuclear cooperation.

- Kenya and Ethiopia signed a major energy-sharing agreement on the sidelines of the African Union summit. The planned power grid connection will allow Kenya to tap into an upcoming Ethiopian hydro-electric project, while cementing economic and security ties between the already friendly neighbors.

Researched by Kari Lipschutz.