Category: FIRB

Australian Treasurer Blocks Chinese Investment in Strategic Rare Earth Producer

A Chinese-backed company’s attempt to increase its stake in a strategically vital rare earth producer has been blocked by the federal government. Yuxiao Fund, a Singapore-registered company, sought to increase its ownership in Northern Minerals from 9.9 percent to 19.9 percent but the move was stopped by Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who signed a prevention…


Australia Rejects $300M Chinese-Bid for Construction Giant Probuild

A multi-million dollar bid by one of the world’s largest construction firms to acquire a majority stake in Australian-based Probuild has been blocked by the foreign investment regulator and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. The almost $300 million bid by the state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) to acquire an 88 percent stake in Probuild was…


Australia Allows Chinese Purchase of Gold Miner While Canada Says ‘No’

China’s second-largest state-owned gold mining company Shandong Gold has won a bidding war to gain control of Australian gold miner Cardinal Resources. This comes after Five Eyes’ partner Canada blocked Shandong from acquiring a local mine in the strategically important Arctic Circle. Over a seven-month period, the state-owned Shandong Gold vied mainly with Russian firm…


Australia Launches Campaign to Stop Breaches in Foreign Real Estate Investment

In a move to enhance regulation of foreign investment, the federal government has launched a new campaign urging Australians to dob in foreign residential property purchasers via a dedicated platform run by the Australia Tax Office (ATO). Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is hoping that the Tip OFF campaign will encourage people to report suspicious purchases or…