1. Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China
Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said in April after police dismantled the network in one of the largest organised crime operations ever uncovered in the country.
2. China, Russia rally behind Cuba as US squeezes Havana in deepening crisis
China and Russia expressed support for Cuba’s embattled government amid mounting pressure from the United States, as Moscow’s deputy foreign minister concluded a visit to Havana and Beijing signalled its willingness to step up diplomatic backing for the island.
3. Brazil blacklists China EV giant BYD for its slave labour conditions
Brazil’s labour ministry added Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to a registry of employers found to have subjected workers to conditions analogous to slavery, limiting access to state financing and increasing reputational risks in its most important market outside China.
