Foreign government investments in Australia

It would help if the Foreign Investment Review Board published these lists themselves or if an opposition politician asked Treasurer Wayne Swan to table this sort of information in Parliament, but for now we've just got information available from press reports and stock exchange announcements.

Major Chinese Government investments in Australia

Chinalco spent $15.5 billion for 9% of Rio Tinto shares in London on February 3, 2008.

China Iron & Steel: The Rio Tinto-operated Channar iron-ore mine in the Pilbara has a capacity of 10mtpa and is 40% owned by China Iron and Steel, an investment worth well over $2 billion.

China Petrochemical Corporation: China's biggest energy distributor has secured 60% and control of the Puffin oil field in the Timor Sea from the struggling AED Oil in a deal that values the assets at $1 billion.

CNOOC: holds a 25% share in China LNG, a new joint venture within the existing $19 billion North West Shelf structure that diluted the other six joint venture parties down to 12.5% each.

Shanghai Baosteel Group: owns 46% of the Rio Tinto-operated Eastern Range iron ore mine in Pilbara which produces 6.5 million tonnes a year worth more than $500 million a year. Chinese investment now worth more than $1 billion.

CITIC: paid more than $400 for its 22.5% stake in the Portland Aluminium Smelter in the 1990s.

Shougang Corp: spent $400 million buying 20% of WA iron ore company Mt Gibson Iron in early 2008.

Sinosteel: owns more than 45% of WA iron ore hopeful Midwest Corp after board recommended a $1.37 billion bid priced at $6.37 a share. Has also bought a small stake in Murchison Metals, which is seeking a separate merger with Midwest, but is yet to receive approval to buy 100% of Murchison.

CITIC: spent $113m in July 2007 lifting stake in Macarthur Coal stake from 11.6% to 19.9% and is already showing a big profit as the stock continues to surge on takeover speculation.

Consortium: five Chinese companies were given FIRB approval in January 2008 to fund $3 billion Oakajee port and rail project in WA.

Chalco: in September 2007 Queensland government awards rights to develop $3 billion bauxite project near Aurukun, which Noel Pearson has claimed includes an unfair forced land grab.

Anshan Iron & Steel: paid $39 million in September 2007 for 13% of iron ore miner Gindalbie and signed $1.8 billion joint venture deal.

Shougang Corp: steel group spent $56 million in March 2007 buying 13% or iron ore developer Australian Resources and agreed to fund $US2.1 billion development of the Balmoral South project and associated port project in WA.

China Metallurgical Group: has committed to pay $400 million for the Cape Lambert Iron ore project in WA.

Resource Development International: Gold Coast-based Clive Palmer whose wealth is north of $1 billion, plans to raise $5 billion mainly through Chinese investors and float RDI by the end of the year.

Singapore Government investments in Australia

1995: Singapore government body, Capita Land, buys controlling stake in property developer Australand which is now worth more than $1 billion.

June 2000: Singapore Power, which is fully owned by the state, buys Victoria's monopoly electricity transmission business Powernet for $2.1 billion.

2001: Singtel, which is majority owned by the state, pays $14 billion, much of in shares, for Optus.

April 2004: Singapore Power paid $5.1 billion for TXU's Australian energy portfolio in April 2004, although $2.2 billion of retail and generation assets were on-sold to China Light & Power in March 2005. Late in 2005, 49 per cent of the remaining Australian power assets were floated in a vehicle called SP Ausnet, raising $1.3 billion.

2007: Singapore Power pays $4.5 billion in cash to Alinta shareholders to become the monopoly gas distributor in NSW and the largest distributor of electricity in Victoria.

May 2007: Singapore sovereign fund, the GIC, pays $717 million for a 50% stake in Westfield Parramatta, Australia's third-most valuable shopping centre.

June 2007: the GIC teamed up with the Commonwealth Bank and the Myer family to pay $600 million for the prestigious Myer Melbourne complex.

June 2007: Temasek Holdings paid $401 million or an excessive $7.30 a share for 12% of ABC Learning to become the largest shareholder in the world's biggest childcare company.

August 2007: Cityspring Infrastructure, which is backed by Temasek, paid a hefty $1.2 billion for the Basslink electricity cable linking the Victorian and Tasmanian grids.

The Middle East

Dubai World, a holding company owned by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates bought P&O in March 2006 for $US7 billion, giving it a half share in Australia's lucrative stevodoring duopoly.

Sheik Mohammed: the ruler of Dubai splashes $460 million buying the thoroughbred, training and bloodstock operations controlled the Ingham family.

Kuwait Government: owns 50% of Australia's tallest office tower, the Rialto, through the St Martins property business which also controls three buildings in Perth's St George's Terrace.

Rest of the World

UK: The government-underwritten BBC bought control of Australia's iconic travel publishing business Lonely Planet in July 2007.

Canada: the Canadian Pension Plan now owns 15% of tollroad giant Transurban after a recent placement to reduce debt.

Netherlands: The Dutch government and eduction sector pension fundand, Stichting Pensionefonds ABP, which controls about $350 billion in assets, bought 40% of Goldfields House at Circular Quy in Sydney from the struggling Valad Property Group.

Additionally, here are lists of foreign companies generating more than $200m, and Australia's improving foreign ownership record.

Check out all the Mayne Report business lists here. Anyone who emails through 5 corrections or additions to stephen@maynereport.com will get a free three month subscription.