Taliban keen to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Beijing — The Taliban administration wants to formally join Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and will send a technical team to China for talks, Afghanistan’s acting commerce minister said on Thursday.

Beijing has sought to develop its ties with the Taliban-run government since it took over in 2021, even though no other foreign government has recognised the administration.

In September, China became the first country to appoint an ambassador to Kabul, with other nations retaining previous ambassadors or appointed heads of mission in a charge d’affaires capacity that does not involve formally presenting credentials to the government.

“We requested China to allow us to be a part of the China-Pakistan economic corridor and Belt and Road Initiative ... [and] are discussing technical issues today,” acting commerce minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi said in an interview a day after the Belt and Road Forum ended in Beijing.

The Pakistan “economic corridor” refers to the  immense flagship section of the Belt and Road Initiative in Afghanistan’s neighbour.

Azizi said the administration will send a technical team to China to enable it to “better understand” the issues standing in the way of it joining the initiative, but did not elaborate on what is holding Afghanistan back.

Afghanistan could offer China a wealth of coveted mineral resources. Several Chinese companies already operate there, including the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), which has held talks with the Taliban administration and the previous Western-backed government, over plans for a potentially  vast copper mine.

“China, which invests all over the world, should also invest in Afghanistan ... we have everything they need, such as lithium, copper and iron,” Azizi said. “Afghanistan is now, more than ever, ready for investment.”

Asked about the MCC talks, Azizi said discussions have been delayed because the mine is near a historical site, but they are under way. “The Chinese company has made a huge investment, and we support them,” he added.

Investors have said security remains a concern. The Islamic State militant group has targeted foreign embassies and a hotel popular with Chinese investors in Kabul.

Asked about the security challenges, Azizi said security is a priority for the Taliban-run government, adding that after 20 years of war — which ended when foreign forces withdrew and the Taliban took over — more parts of the country are safe.

“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.

Afghanistan and 34 other countries agreed to work together on the digital economy and green development on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum on Wednesday.

Reuters