Sinosteel

Sinosteel is the Australian subsidiary of Chinese state-owned enterprise Sinosteel Corporation which sources iron ore and other raw materials for China's manufacturing plants.

The business has two major interests in WA, including the Channar joint venture with Rio Tinto. The partners have continued that arrangement since 1987, with an extension agreed in 2017.

The second is operation of mines in the mid west through Sinosteel Midwest Corporation. The assets were acquired in 2008 through a hostile takeover of Midwest Corporation, the first successful hostile takeover of an Australian business by a Chinese entity. That deal was valued at $1.3 billion.

But the company's mining operations are dialed down from its initial plans, with two mines on care and maintenance. A further mine, Blue Hills stage 2, is probable.