Granted, it is unlikely to lose access to resources controlled by friendly dictators who have benefited personally from China's arrival.

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Already, key port facilities on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the canal (Cristobal and Balboa) have been leased by Hutchison Whampoa, 10 percent of which is owned by China Resources Enterprises (100 percent of which is controlled by the Red Chinese government).

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Both companies are controlled by Pallinghurst Resources, a private equity company focused on the mining sector.

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The Council - which is controlled by the Liberal Democrats - says it lacks resources to enforce EDMOs and already has sufficient powers to deal with empty homes.

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More within the realm of possibility are the more conventional oil and gas resources on, according to Mulva, 2.4 billion acres controlled by the federal government (I haven't fact-checked that number, but it feels high).

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