Beijing, 19 October, 2023 (GNP): Afghanistan’s acting minister of commerce announced on Thursday that the Taliban government intends to legally join Chinese President Xi Jinping’s massive “Belt and Road” infrastructure plan and will also send a technical team to China for negotiations.
Since the Taliban gained power in 2021, Beijing has worked to strengthen its relations with the government though, no other foreign government has acknowledged it.
China was the first nation to designate an ambassador to Kabul last month; other countries either kept their former ambassadors or appointed chiefs of mission in a charge d’affaires role, which does not require them to formally apply for government credentials.
After the Belt and Road Forum concluded in Beijing one day earlier, acting Commerce Minister Hajji Noor Uddin Azizi said in a discussion, “We requested China to allow us to be a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Belt and Road Initiative”.
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The expansive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) main portion of Afghanistan’s neighbor is referred to as the “economic corridor” in Pakistan.
To help China “better understand” the obstacles preventing it from joining the effort, Azizi said the administration would also send a technical team there. However, he did not go into detail about what exactly was preventing Afghanistan from participating.
“We have everything they need, like iron, copper, and lithium. China, which invests all over the world, should invest in Afghanistan as well,” Azizi remarked. “Investment in Afghanistan is more viable than ever before.”
China may have access to abundant and highly sought-after mineral resources in Afghanistan. There are already several Chinese businesses operating there, such as Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd. (MCC), which has discussed ideas for a possible massive copper mine with both the Taliban administration and the former government supported by the West.
When asked about the MCC negotiations, Azizi replied that although they had been postponed due to the mine’s proximity to a historical landmark, they were still going on. “We support the Chinese company, as they have made a significant investment,” he continued.
Investors have expressed worries about security. Foreign embassies and a hotel in Kabul that is well-liked by Chinese businessmen have been attacked by the militants of the Islamic State.
When asked about the security issues, Azizi said that the government, which is led by the Taliban, places a high premium on security. He also added that more areas of the nation were secure following the 20 years of fighting that ended when the foreign forces left and the Taliban gained control.
“It is now possible to travel to provinces where there is industry, agriculture, and mines that one previously could not visit… security can be guaranteed,” Azizi added.
