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National Observer
18 hours ago
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Meet the megaprojects By John Woodside Analysis July 17th 2025 Scroll down to continue Share this article
Prime Minister Mark Carney rode to election victory in April on a wave of nationalism, promising to transform Canada into a global 'energy superpower' with 'nation-building' megaprojects that would remake the country's economy in the face of trade threats and wider international geopolitical upheaval. Prime Minister Mark Carney rode to election victory in April on a wave of nationalism, promising to transform Canada into a global 'energy superpower' with 'nation-building' megaprojects that would remake the country's economy in the face of trade threats and wider international geopolitical upheaval. Many of the country's premiers have been open about projects they want to advance with federal dollars. Draft project lists are circulating across government, and Canada's National Observer, through discussions with government sources, understands some 10 to 15 projects are being considered priorities, ranging over the energy, infrastructure and critical minerals sectors. The criteria on which these future developments will be judged are vague, with a statement from the PMO only highlighting that the winning projects would be those with the potential to strengthen the country's economy and security, have a strong chance for success, advance the interests of Indigenous Peoples, or contribute to clean growth. Not each box needs to be ticked, and some sources say the point of the far-reaching criteria is to give the federal government a free hand to fast-track a wide range of projects. Some major projects, such as Ontario Premier Doug Ford's proposal to build a tunnel under the busy 401 highway, do not appear to be gathering traction with federal officials and are not expected to make the final list. A complete east-west power grid similarly is not being prioritized, although several projects to strengthen regional power grids are contenders. Politically, it appears the goal is to show how fast the Carney government can move — even if some projects are already shovel-ready and just awaiting investment decisions from companies, or are simply rebranded versions of old projects not yet completed. According to our analysis, among the most likely to be selected are four fossil fuel-related projects, compared to two renewable energy projects and one that supports the nuclear energy supply chain. There are three major transmission line upgrades to accelerate decarbonization; as well as three major transportation and trade-related projects to build trade capacity, particularly between provinces and away from the US. Two projects are focused on opening up new regions for mining. Not all projects can be neatly categorized; for instance, one project, in Nunavut and the NWT, straddles transportation, trade and mining. Here Canada's National Observer looks at the likely front-runners, including a new coastal LNG facility in BC, critical minerals mines in Ontario, and an offshore wind-power transmission trunkline from Nova Scotia. Chapter 1 Energy Scroll down to continue Illustration by Ata Ojani/Canada's National Observer Fossil fuels LNG Canada Phase 2 Province: British Columbia Project type: Fossil fuel — Liquefied natural gas export terminal expansion Stage: Awaiting final investment decision LNG Canada recently began exporting liquefied natural gas at its terminal in Kitimat, BC, representing the country's first LNG export terminal, and to date, the largest private sector investment in Canadian history. The company's owners (Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and the Korean Gas Corporation) have plans to expand the site, known as Phase 2, and a final investment decision is expected this year. A government source confirmed to Canada's National Observer that LNG Canada Phase 2 is on a list of projects receiving serious consideration from the federal government. In part, that is because it is essentially a shovel-ready project that meets some of the stated PMO criteria: supporting economic growth, high likelihood of successful execution and promoting energy security. Federal and provincial officials support LNG exports, despite its climate harm. Beyond the significant climate risks — LNG terminals in British Columbia are meant to export gas from the Montney Play — a globally recognized 'carbon bomb' — there are economic risks. The global market for gas faces a major glut — with a fivefold increase in supply coming online over the next three years. Researchers at the Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis question who will purchase the gas that could flood the market. Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Cedar LNG Province: British Columbia Project type: Fossil fuel — Liquefied natural gas export terminal Stage: Under construction Cedar LNG is a floating LNG export terminal that is majority-owned by the Haisla Nation in partnership with Pembina Pipeline Corporation. Scheduled to begin exports in 2028, the project has an estimated cost of $8 billion. The federal government has already spent $200 million on the project through its Strategic Innovation Fund. Because the project is majority Indigenous-owned, already under construction (and thus presumed to have a high likelihood of successful execution) and could support economic growth, it fits several of the PMO's criteria. However, like LNG Canada Phase 2, boosting LNG exports poses climate harms to the world, and due to the emerging oversupply of LNG, critics point to increased risks of stranded assets. Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Pathways Alliance CCUS Project Province: Alberta Project type: Fossil fuel — carbon capture Stage: Proposed The Pathways Alliance wants to build a $16.5-billion project to pipe carbon dioxide captured from 13 oilsands sites in northern Alberta to an underground storage site south of Cold Lake, Alberta, through 600 kilometres of pipelines. The group includes the country's oilsands majors (Suncor, Cenovus, MEG Energy, Imperial Oil, Canadian Natural Resources and ConocoPhilips Canada) representing 95 per cent of oilsands production. Formed in 2021, the group says it is committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. Whether the project makes its way onto the federal government's major projects list is likely to be a result of the 'grand-bargain' being negotiated between the Carney government and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Details are thin, but Carney seems willing to fast-track a new oil pipeline to the West Coast, if the oil can be 'decarbonized' — though climate experts are clear that decarbonized oil does not exist in reality. Still, there are major obstacles. First is that the business case is going up in smoke without long-term federal subsidies. Second, the companies in the alliance have in recent years raked in record profits, and have not begun work on the project, offering credence to critics' concerns the project was pitched as a delay tactic to forestall stricter environmental regulations. Third, carbon capture facilities routinely fail to meet their stated performance targets. Fourth, the Pathways Alliance project faces opposition from the local Athabasca Chipewayan First Nation. However, despite its many problems, the political rationale is tantalizing for the federal government. Resetting relationships with Alberta, while politically threading the needle between demonstrating a commitment to the oil and gas sector and reducing emissions, appears to be a major goal for Carney's government. It also fits the PMO's understanding of clean technologies, and aligns with a stated criteria for major projects 'having clean growth potential, such as the use of clean technologies.' For that reason, Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Northern Gateway Revival Province: Alberta and British Columbia Project type: Fossil fuel — oil pipeline Stage: Awaiting proposal Reviving the Northern Gateway pipeline, first proposed by Enbridge in 2006, has been a longstanding goal for the oil patch and the Alberta government. A government source told Canada's National Observer a pipeline from the oilsands to the BC coast is likely to make Carney's list of major projects. Carney himself said earlier this month a new oil pipeline proposal would 'likely' make the list but would ultimately be up to the private sector to make the proposal fly. Speaking during a quarterly earnings call in February, Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel said for the company to consider investing in the project, the federal government would have to designate the pipeline as 'in the national interest,' and put through major legislative changes, including the repeal of the Impact Assessment Act, anti-greenwashing rules and the oil and gas emissions cap. Approving the pipeline does not ensure that it will be built, the source said. Rather, the goal is politically aimed at lowering the temperature with the Alberta premier, who frequently accuses the federal government of being anti-fossil fuel. By including the new oil pipeline on a list of major projects the government is willing to fast-track, Ottawa is essentially tossing the ball back in Alberta and the fossil fuel industry's court. If you want it, you can have it, but you need to invest in it yourselves. Calling Alberta's bluff could be playing with fire. The province has argued in recent months that a new oil pipeline to BC's north coast would be a project in the national interest. Such a proposal would require scrapping the West Coast tanker ban put in place by Justin Trudeau in 2018. One indication that oil companies are pushing for a new oil pipeline to the West Coast came in an open letter to party leaders in March, where 14 oil and gas executives said the tanker ban was 'impeding development' and should be overhauled. The proposal promises to be controversial. Smith's BC counterpart, David Eby, is opposed to public funding of the project, and the initial Northern Gateway project faced fierce opposition from Indigenous nations and environmental groups. In 2016, a federal court ultimately overturned the federal cabinet's approval of the project two years earlier for failing to adequately consult First Nations. Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Renewable Gull Island Province: Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador Project type: Renewable energy — Hydroelectric dam Stage: Feasibility studies underway The Gull Island hydro dam, twice the size of British Columbia's Site C megaproject, is set to be built about 300 kilometres from the Quebec border on Labrador's Churchill River. It would generate 2,250 megawatts (MW) of electricity — roughly the equivalent of five million solar panels, or enough power for more than 1.5 million homes. In December, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador signed an MOU to develop the project. Essentially, Quebec needs the electricity to support its clean-energy superpower status, while Newfoundland and Labrador wants to see the economic benefits of a major dam built within its jurisdiction without the financial risk of developing it by itself and the project going sideways, as happened with the Muskrat Falls boondoggle. Like most hydro projects, Gull Island promises to be controversial, given it would flood an 85-square-kilometre area of the Innu Nation's traditional territory for its reservoir. Innu Nation participation and support for the project will likely be critical determinants of its success. The nation has signed a multi-million dollar agreement-in-principle with Hydro-Quebec, but protests from locals have already begun. The project aligns with PMO criteria, including supporting economic growth and having clean growth potential. Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Wind West Province: Nova Scotia Project type: Renewable energy — Offshore wind power Stage: Proposed Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has pitched the Carney government on supporting the province's offshore wind sector. Wind could be to Nova Scotia what oil was to Texas, goes the argument — recognizing the world-class potential of offshore wind. Nova Scotia wants to build five gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, enough to supply 27 per cent of the country's electricity generation, according to its estimates. With more than enough electricity to power the province and support its coal plant phase-out, electricity exports west to other provinces would be on the table. The project would cost billions, but could help decarbonize the Maritimes. If smartly connected across the region, it could also be used to offer Quebec large volumes of intermittent electricity to complement its massive hydro reserves, acting like a battery for the region. Due to the proposal's economic benefits, clean-growth potential, and regional fairness concerns, Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Nuclear Nuclear Supply Chains Provinces: Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick Project Type: Non-emitting energy - Nuclear Stage: Proposed The chief focus of this proposal is to build up nuclear supply chains for small modular reactors (SMRs). The proposal touches several provinces and could strengthen interprovincial trade. Canada's National Observer could not yet confirm which specific nuclear projects will be included, but sources say the federal government is actively considering a handful of projects that collectively would form the backbone of an SMR supply chain. Among the projects are support for an SMR program at Ontario's Darlington new nuclear site, a proposed SMR in Saskatchewan to be run by SaskPower, SMRs to electrify oilsands production in Alberta, as well as a proposed SMR plant at Point Lepreau in New Brunswick. Beyond the project specifics, Carney's government is also considering how to support the supply chain, from uranium mining in Saskatchewan (two uranium mines are awaiting federal approvals) to an SMR research cluster in New Brunswick. The nuclear supply chain issue was underscored in a briefing note prepared for a deputy minister at Fisheries and Oceans Canada who met with electricity sector CEOs in February. Canada's National Observer obtained the briefing note through a federal access to information request. The document explains that Russia accounts for 40 per cent of global uranium enrichment, 'posing a threat to Western enriched nuclear fuel supply chains.' The note says that while the use of natural uranium in Canada's CANDU reactors puts the country in a relatively secure position, 'Canada will soon need enriched fuel for small modular reactors.' Due to the energy security concerns, potential to increase economic growth and nuclear energy being non-emitting — which fit PMO criteria for major projects — Canada's National Observer considers a project to support nuclear fuel supply chains to be greenlit. Chapter 2 Infrastructure Scroll down to continue Electrification Eastern Energy Partnership Province: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Quebec Project type: Electrification — Power grid Stage: Proposed Related to Gull Island and Wind West is the Eastern Energy Partnership. Through discussions with sources, Canada's National Observer understands the Eastern Energy Partnership is essentially a rebrand of a 2019 commitment from Justin Trudeau called the Atlantic Loop. The Atlantic Loop proposal was to add transmission capacity and strengthen provincial power grid links in Atlantic Canada to move large volumes of hydroelectric power from Quebec and Labrador into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to help those maritime provinces phase out coal. The Atlantic Loop project was significantly scaled back over the years due to the complexity and political challenges of aligning provinces with competing energy demands. But the goal remains critical for phasing out fossil fuels in the region and decarbonizing those provinces' economies. Rebranding the Atlantic Loop into the Eastern Energy Partnership, and rolling projects like Gull Island and Wind West into it, serves some political and economic goals for Ottawa. It also fits stated PMO criteria for nation-building projects, and is understood to be a priority area for the major projects list. For these reasons, Canada's National Observer considers it likely to be greenlit. Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link Province/territory: Manitoba and Nunavut Project type: Infrastructure — Electricity and internet Stage: Under development The Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link is a planned transmission line and fibre-optic link designed to bring electricity from Manitoba into Nunavut to support the phase-out of diesel. It also would bring reliable internet into the region. The project is a major undertaking, spanning about 1,200 kilometres of rough terrain and permafrost. The project is Inuit-owned and led, and enjoys support from the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Project documents say by providing renewable electricity from Manitoba's grid, it could take five communities and two mines off diesel generation — singlehandedly meeting Nunavut's 2030 emissions reduction target. The economic rationale for Manitoba is also clear. By developing a new transmission line, it allows the Crown utility to sign long-term power purchase contracts with Nunavut — a notable opportunity given that Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said in April that Manitoba Hydro would not renew contracts with the United States and would ' bring back 500 megawatts of power.' The premiers of Manitoba and Nunavut signed a joint statement committing to the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link that month. Canada's National Observer considers the project to likely be greenlit. Yukon-BC Grid Connect Province/territory: British Columbia and Yukon Project type: Infrastructure — Electricity Stage: Proposed The governments of British Columbia and Yukon are proposing to link their power grids in a major project to send power between jurisdictions. In May, the two premiers signed an MOU to collaborate, which they framed as a way to strengthen Canadian self-sufficiency, security and resilience by developing clean-energy corridors. The two premiers also said it would advance reconciliation and 'rapidly' increase the availability of renewable energy to meet long-term emission reduction goals. By connecting the power grids and building new electricity infrastructure, the goal for British Columbia is to create the conditions to significantly increase industrial capacity in the province's north. Last year, BC Hydro announced plans to spend almost $36 billion on infrastructure, which is widely seen as a critical investment to support industrial activities with high-power needs, like mining and LNG development. Yukon primarily generates electricity from dams and is an isolated grid. Connecting to BC is a way to add reliability to its power grid as it aims to grow its power-hungry mining sector, while rapidly adding renewable energy and phasing out its use of diesel and gas. Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai has said his top priority in meetings with Carney has been support for the grid connect project. The Yukon-BC Grid Connect project has already received $40 million through the federal government's Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund. Because the Yukon-BC Grid Connect project involves multiple jurisdictions, supports economic growth, and could support reconciliation, Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Transportation and Trade Windsor-Quebec City High Speed Rail Province: Ontario and Quebec Project type: Infrastructure — Transportation Stage: Proposed Discussed since the 1970s, with more than two dozen studies completed but never acted on, high-speed rail in Canada appears to be fast approaching. Multiple government sources have told Canada's National Observer a high-speed rail network will be on Carney's list. In February, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau pitched a project called Alto — a high-speed rail system connecting Toronto and Quebec City — and set aside $3.9 billion over the next six years to develop it. Under Carney, the Liberal platform expanded the idea, promising to stretch the rail system as far as Windsor, Ont. The climate benefits of high-speed rail connecting the most populated corridor in the country are significant. Initial project documents suggest it could trim more than 39 million tonnes of carbon pollution in the coming decades. Aside from its effect on car ownership and usage, a high-speed rail connecting major cities in Quebec and Ontario also opens the door for ambitious policies that would otherwise be non-starters, like banning short-haul flights by offering faster, cleaner alternatives. Due to these reasons, Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Port of Churchill Upgrade Province: Manitoba Project type: Infrastructure — Trade Stage: Under development Since climate change will make the Arctic ocean virtually ice-free by the 2050s, a major push to develop the critical minerals sector, and political pressure to secure new trading partners, Canada is eyeing a major port expansion on Hudson Bay. The upgrades would likely include increased storage capacity, railway infrastructure, support for dredging, wharf rebuilding, and other long-term site design improvements at the nearly century-old port. Earlier this year, the federal government earmarked $175 million for the port and Hudson Bay Railway that services it. The rationale? To open new transportation corridors, support economic growth, help get Canadian products to global markets and support reconciliation in the Canadian Arctic — a set of goals almost identical to the stated PMO criteria for its major project priorities. In February, the Manitoba government spent $36.4 million on the port and railway to support its expansion. A federal government source has said the Port of Churchill is on a list of major projects under consideration. Already the port is signing agreements to bolster trade. The Arctic Gateway Group (a partnership of dozens of communities and First Nations which owns the Port of Churchill) is partnering with Genesis Fertilizers to import phosphate and ammonium to use as feedstock at a proposed nitrogen fertilizer facility to be built in Saskatchewan. And for years, a proposed energy corridor from Alberta to the Port of Churchill has been proposed by Western Energy Corridor Inc., a group of seven senior oil and gas executives, proposing oil and gas pipelines stretching from Alberta to Hudson's Bay. Canada's National Observer considers this project likely to be greenlit. Port of Belledune Upgrade Province: New Brunswick Project type: Infrastructure — Trade Stage: Proposed On the north coast of New Brunswick, the small town of Belledune is positioning itself with a big vision. The Port of Belledune is planning a major overhaul of its operations due to the shifting economic climate that will involve building a green energy hub to attract low-carbon industries. The centrepiece of the plan is a green hydrogen project, but the port's 2022-2052 master plan aims for the port to be a hub for small modular reactors, advanced battery systems, biomass industries and more. The driving force behind the long-term vision is simply that the port's economic lifelines are being phased out. The port was built in 1968 to handle shipping needs from a lead and zinc smelter, but the smelter's owner, mining giant Glencore, announced closure plans in 2019. The port's other major source of business is handling coal for the Belledune Generating Station, which must phase out coal-fired generation by 2030. That plant is considering burning wood pellets to stay afloat, but the bottom line is the port is on the hunt for new business. A government source confirmed the Belledune port upgrade is actively being considered and likely to make the cut. It fits the PMO's criteria including economic growth and contributing to clean growth. Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Chapter 3 Mining Scroll down to continue Ring of Fire Province: Ontario Project type: Infrastructure — Mining Stage: Proposed Roughly 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay is the Ring of Fire, sprawling across a 5,000 square-kilometre region. Home to 15 First Nations, it is one of the world's largest peatland and wetland ecosystems, and at-risk species like caribou. The proposed mining megaproject involves building roads and transmission lines into the region to extract minerals important to the energy transition, including nickel, chromite, copper and cobalt. The Ring of Fire is on the list of major projects actively being considered, but it is possible the proposal will be split into two separate projects. It is unclear what those two projects might be. Because China overwhelmingly controls the global critical minerals trade, the United States has made it a strategic priority to build up its own supply chains. Canada could factor into that, and has already seen millions invested by the US administration. Carney has previously said that the era of close integration with the United States is over, but at this year's G7, he made critical mineral supply chains a focus with plans for the allied nations to deepen trade. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is hellbent on developing the Ring of Fire, and recently passed the controversial Bill-5, that guts environmental protection rules to allow industrial developments to occur without environmental impact studies or expert reviews. The Ontario government ignored input from 133 First Nations in the province, while the Carney government has promised to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples — which requires that Indigenous nations have free, prior and informed consent before extraction on their lands is allowed. However, because Bill C-5 allows the cabinet to designate projects in the national interest and then exempt them from regulatory assessment before being greenlit, it is unclear how Indigenous rights will be taken into account on any specific project. Canada's National Observer considers it likely for the project to be greenlit. Critical Mineral Triangle Province: Manitoba Project type: Infrastructure — Mining Stage: Proposed Premier Wab Kinew calls Manitoba the 'Costco of critical minerals,' and securing federal support for the province's mining sector is one of his top priorities as major projects are considered. The province is home to 30 of the 34 minerals on Canada's critical minerals list, and Manitoba has all of the six identified by the federal government as priorities: cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth elements. But according to Kinew, to develop this sector, the province needs support to fast-track exploration and build its workforce with Indigenous nations. To do that, he said it needs investments in northern transportation infrastructure, including highways, transmission lines, rail spurs, inland and tide water ports, and a new airport in Wasagamack First Nation. Canada's National Observer understands Ottawa is considering including support for Manitoba's critical minerals sector in its list of major projects, but so far has been unable to confirm which specific projects will see support. Due to the proposed project supporting economic growth, Indigenous reconciliation and contribution to clean growth, Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. Grays Bay Port and Road Project/Slave Geological Province Corridor Territories: Nunavut and Northwest Territories Project type: Infrastructure — Mining Stage: Proposed The proposed deep-water port and related road infrastructure in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories appears to be a major priority for the Carney government. The Grays Bay project was featured in the Liberal platform as an example of a so-called nation-building project the Liberal government could pursue. The port in Grays Bay would connect to a major mining region by a roughly 200-kilometre, all-season road. Proponents say it could raise Nunavut's GDP by more than $5 billion, and Canada's by $7.6 billion. Critics, however, note that the road would cut into caribou calving grounds and present new threats to the ecosystem's health. The road is not to connect communities, but rather aimed at opening new mines for development. Related to the Grays Bay Port and Road project is the Slave Geological Province Corridor — an all-season road in the Northwest Territories that would functionally link Yellowknife to the Arctic Coast. The two projects could be counted separately, but they fit hand in glove and are worth considering as a package deal, especially considering the Canada Infrastructure Bank describes the Grays Bay Port and Road project as explicitly linking to highway systems in the Northwest Territories. Canada's National Observer considers the project likely to be greenlit. — With files from Darius Snieckus Related content Snubs and scrambles ahead of Carney's major projects meeting with First Nations More legal battles likely as First Nations launch first lawsuit against new federal, provincial laws Building an abundant Canada beyond Bill 5
Perth Now
19 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
‘Superpower': Albo's big call on China
China is 'confident' in its emergence as a global superpower, Anthony Albanese says as he wraps up his lengthy state visit to the country. The Prime Minister has spent the last five days spruiking Australia's multisector offerings in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu. In turn, the Chinese have bombarded him with a charm offensive, showing him the sights, treating him to banquets with Communist Party top brass, lavish lunches with business leaders and even a dash of panda diplomacy. Speaking to media on Thursday from Chengdu's Anshun Bridge, Mr Albanese was asked how he would describe China's mood as it ascends to 'superpower' status. 'China sees itself as confident going forward,' he replied. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held his fourth face-to-face meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing during the visit. PMO Credit: Supplied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrapped up his six-day visit in the city of Chengdu. NewsWire/ Joseph Olbrycht-Palmer Credit: News Corp Australia Against a backdrop of central Chengdu's towering skyline, he went on to praise China's rapid development, specifically his host city's 'innovative architecture'. 'Quite clearly new, dynamic and creative,' Mr Albanese said. The comments were in line with his efforts to frame the Australia-China relationship in friendlier terms as both countries navigate an unpredictable White House. In the past decade, the relationship has been marred by a trade war and an ongoing battle for influence in the region. It has also taken an increasingly militaristic nature as China rapidly builds up its arsenals of conventional and nuclear weapons amid warnings Xi Jinping is eyeing an invasion of Taiwan. Mr Albanese has said he raised those concerns with the Chinese President when they met in Beijing earlier this week. Despite their thorny nature, he emerged from the talks positive that peace through trade and people-to-people ties was possible. Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping held official talks in Beijing. Source: PMO Credit: Supplied Though, asked on Thursday if he regarded Mr Xi a 'friend', Mr Albanese had plenty of nice things to say but held off using that word. 'I regard the relationship with President Xi as warm and engaging,' Mr Albanese said. 'We have had four bilateral meetings, but have also engaged other times as well, on an informal basis. 'That's a positive thing.' Anthony Albanese has taken a stroll on the Great Wall of China, following in the footsteps of Labor reformist Gough Whitlam. He added that Mr Xi 'sent a very warm message of congratulations' after Labor's landslide federal election win in May. Mr Albanese finished up is official engagements on Thursday afternoon with a visit to a Cochlear factory in Chengdu, shining a spotlight on Australian med tech in the research hub. It came after he had a lunch with leaders in the space. He will fly back to Australia on Friday.
United News of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- United News of India
Modi to launch projects worth Rs 12,000 cr in Bihar, Bengal tomorrow
New Delhi, July 17 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar and West Bengal tomorrow to launch and lay foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 12,000 crore, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said today. In Motihari in Bihar, the Prime Minister will launch projects worth Rs 7,200 crore across sectors, including railways, roads, rural development, fisheries, and IT while in Durgapur, West Bengal, projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore will be launched in oil and gas, power, road, and rail sectors. He will lay the foundation for rail line doubling, road widening, and rural infrastructure, including a major Rs 4,080 crore rail project between Darbhanga and Narkatiaganj, the PMO said in a statement here. He will also inaugurate highway projects like the Parariya-Mohania 4-lane stretch, and a 2-lane Sarwan-Chakai road, improving connectivity with Jharkhand while in Patna and Darbhanga, the Prime Minister will launch new STPI software parks and an IT incubation centre. He will also dedicate fisheries development projects under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. Four Amrit Bharat trains will be flagged off to Delhi and Lucknow from Bihar, and Rs 400 crore will be released to over 61,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the DAY-NRLM scheme. With a special focus on women-led development, over 10 crore women have been so far connected to Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Modi will also hand over keys to 12,000 PM Awas Yojana-Gramin beneficiaries as a part of Griha Pravesh and release over Rs 160 crore, as per the PMO. In Durgapur, West Bengal, the Prime Minister will unveil projects worth Rs 5,000 crore across oil and gas, energy, road, and rail sectors including the BPCL City Gas project in Bankura and Purulia (Rs 1,950 crore) and the Durgapur–Kolkata natural gas pipeline (Rs1,190 crore). Pollution control systems at two thermal power plants will also be inaugurated (Rs 1,457 crore). To boost rail connectivity, the Prime Minister will dedicate the doubling of the Purulia–Kotshila rail line worth over Rs 390 crore and inaugurate two road over bridges at Topsi and Pandabeshwar, built under the Setu Bharatam scheme. Four more Amrit Bharat trains and central funds for SHGs and housing beneficiaries will also be announced during the West Bengal leg of the visit. UNI AJ PRS
Iraq Business
a day ago
- Business
- Iraq Business
Mosul's Riverfront Redevelopment Preserves Historical Heritage
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani conducted a field visit on Wednesday to inspect the ongoing redevelopment of the historic riverfront in the old city of Mosul. Highlighting the symbolic and cultural importance of the area, which includes numerous religious and archaeological landmarks, the Prime Minister affirmed that the reconstruction is being carried out in coordination with relevant ministries and the local government. The project was designed by a Spanish firm and is being implemented according to heritage-focused standards, in partnership with UNESCO. He stressed the need to preserve the city's historical legacy, calling it a heritage of value not just to Iraq but to the entire world, while ensuring that the character and identity of the site are maintained during reconstruction. Launched earlier this year, the project covers the riverfront area between Mosul's old and fifth bridges, and includes the creation of a riverside promenade, a boat dock, 273 traditional-style homes, and recreational parks, along with comprehensive infrastructure services for water, sewage, electricity, and telecommunications. (Source: PMO)
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Dasheri, Langra, Haribhanga and diplomacy: The many flavours of mango
Amid Dhaka's strained relations with New Delhi, Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, sent 1,000 kg of Haribhanga mangoes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gesture came about a month after PM Modi extended Eid al-Adha greetings to Yunus and the people of Bangladesh. The gift might be a signal of continuity as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who's now in self-imposed exile, too sent mangoes. Mangoes, a fruit that is native to the Indian subcontinent, have played a juicy role in diplomacy, including one involving China's Mao Zedong and consignment of Haribhanga mangoes – a premium variety from northern Bangladesh – was dispatched to PM Modi last weekend, according to the Dhaka Tribune. Not just the Prime Minister, the mangoes will also be shared with PMO dignitaries, diplomats, and other Dhaka-based newspaper added that the interim government is also sending mangoes to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, continuing the long-standing relationship between Bangladesh and the state. Last Thursday, Yunus sent 300 kg of Haribhanga mangoes to Tripura CM Manik Saha, said the Dhaka Hasina would send mangoes and Hilsa fish to CMs of Bengal and some Northeast states due to their proximity to the mangoes were routed to India through the Akhaura land gesture is significant against the backdrop of India-Bangladesh tensions since Hasina's August 2024 ouster. Her seeking asylum in India following student-led protests stirred anti-India sentiments in Yunus government, too, has shown signs of leaning toward China, with Beijing ramping up investments and loans under its Belt and Road this move by Yunus mirrors Hasina's balancing act, tiptoeing between Indian and Chinese this is not the first time mangoes have been used as a diplomatic gift. It's been in practice for decades, especially in the Indian subcontinent. Here are the instances when mangoes sweetened ties between MANGO DIPLOMACY IN THE 1950sIn the 1950s, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru leveraged mangoes as a diplomatic tool to foster goodwill with foreign reportedly gifted mangoes to dignitaries during their state visits to India. When travelling abroad, Nehru carried mangoes as gifts.A report in The Indian Express narrates a notable instance from 1955 when Nehru gifted eight saplings of Dasheri and Langra mangoes to then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. The saplings were meant for planting in Guangzhou's People's mangoes were a return gift for Zhou, who, in November 1954, had showered Nehru with a slew of exotic and precious gifts, that included a pair of spotted deer, a pair of red crested cranes, and 100 goldfish, according to the reports suggest that Nehru also gifted mangoes to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during his 1955 visit to instances established mangoes as a soft power tool in India's early MANGO GIFT TO MAO ZEDONGIn August 1968, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mian Arshad Hussain gifted a crate of mangoes to Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong during a diplomatic reported by the BBC, Mao, uninterested in the fruit himself, redistributed the mangoes to factory gift arrived at a time when Mao was seeking to reassert his authority amid factional struggles, and the mangoes became an unexpected propaganda at Beijing's Tsinghua University, where Mao sent one mango, preserved it in formaldehyde and created wax replicas for display across the weren't common in China replicas were paraded in processions, with one factory even placing a mango replica on an altar, where workers paid daily BBC notes that a worker ignorant of the fruit's significance was executed for comparing a mango to a sweet imagery also appeared on posters, badges, and household gesture seemingly strengthened Pakistan-China ties, as Pakistan sought to counterbalance India's regional influence, particularly after the 1965 India-Pakistan UL-HAQ'S GIFT OF MANGOES TO INDIRA GANDHIIn 1981, Pakistan's military ruler Zia ul-Haq sent mangoes to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a goodwill gesture, as per a report in the news agency the gesture did not resolve deep-seated conflicts between India and Pakistan, it was seemingly a gift that Indira Gandhi appreciated, as per mangoes gifted by Zia to Indira Gandhi was known as Anwar Rataul in Pakistan and Rataul in India. Named after a Uttar Pradesh village, it sparked a cultural tug-of-war between the two nations over its activist and mango aficionado Sohail Hashmi told PTI that soon after the gift, mango enthusiasts and experts said Ratauls only grew in India and what was gifted to Indira were "fakes". Hasmi said farmers from Rataul presented their case to Gandhi, asserting the mango's Indian roots.'The mango is called Rataul because it was developed here,' Hashmi told PTI. 'Some people who migrated to Pakistan took cuttings and began cultivating the variety in Multan.'Though both countries claim it, its role as a diplomatic gift between two arch-rivals shows how important mangoes have been in India-Pakistan diplomacy since the TIES WITH THE USDuring his visit to India in March 2006, US President George W Bush reportedly expressed a keen desire to taste Indian mangoes. At the time, a nearly two-decade-long ban had barred Indian mango exports to the interest prompted a deal with then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, leading to the launch of the "mango initiative".As a result, Indian mangoes re-entered the American market. On April 27, 2007, a shipment of 150 boxes arrived at New York's John F Kennedy Airport in what The New York Times called "probably the most eagerly anticipated fruit delivery ever".US officials reportedly said the export marked the commitment of both nations to deepen trade relations and create fresh economic opportunities for their SHARIF TO NARENDRA MODIIn July 2015, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sent a box of mangoes to PM Modi, as well as then-President Pranab Mukherjee, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, in a gesture aimed at fostering goodwill, The Dawn Modi and other recipients acknowledged the gift, it did little to ease tensions between India and the decades, mangoes have served as a form of diplomatic currency across Asia, especially within the Indian subcontinent. Though such gestures may not have notably eased India-Pakistan tensions, Yunus' continuation of Hasina's tradition might be a signal from Bangladesh to India.- EndsMust Watch
