Taliban says plans to formally join China's Belt and Road Initiative

[beijingwalker]

Taliban says plans to formally join China's Belt and Road Initiative​

By Joe Cash
October 19, 20237:06 PM GMT+8

Taliban's acting commerce minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi speaks during an interview with Reuters, at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Beijing, China October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing Rights

BEIJING, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The Taliban administration wants to formally join Chinese President Xi Jinping's huge '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.
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Last month, 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 told Reuters in an interview a day after the Belt and Road Forum ended in Beijing.

The Pakistan "economic corridor" refers to the huge flagship section of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Afghanistan's neighbour.
Azizi said the administration would also 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 was holding Afghanistan back.

Afghanistan could offer China a wealth of coveted mineral resources. Several Chinese companies already operate there, including the Metallurgical Corp. of China Ltd (MCC) which has held talks with the Taliban administration, as well as the previous Western-backed government, over plans for a potentially huge 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 had been delayed because the mine was near a historical site, but they were still ongoing. "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 was 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 - meant more parts of the country were 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.

Additional reporting by Ahmad Masih Noori and Charlotte Greenfield in Kabul; editing by Miral Fahmy

Taliban says plans to formally join China's Belt and Road Initiative

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

www.reuters.com

 

[hussain0216]

And this could be good for peace as well, good interactivity, etc

The Taliban will need to get TTP etc under control to join

Once again China helps the world and makes it better as opposed to the constant bullshit from the U.S and Europeans

 

[beijingwalker]

After pouring in trillions of dollars and killing millions of the locals, US didn't get anything in Afghanistan, stupidity at the finest.

 

[TriptiD]

Has China decided to recognize the Taliban regime? Can we expect Chinese arms sales to the them to help them defend their borders?

 

[tower9]

The Taliban needs to become more pragmatic and less dogmatic.

 

[etylo]

Has China decided to recognize the Taliban regime? Can we expect Chinese arms sales to the them to help them defend their borders?

Sleazy Indian wants China supporting Afghan to fight Pakistan.

 

[PradoTLC]

After pouring in trillions of dollars and killing millions of the locals, US didn't get anything in Afghanistan, stupidity at the finest.

just put money in defence contractors..

Has China decided to recognize the Taliban regime? Can we expect Chinese arms sales to the them to help them defend their borders?

Yes... it will come soon.

 

[LeGenD]

After pouring in trillions of dollars and killing millions of the locals, US didn't get anything in Afghanistan, stupidity at the finest.

American intervention in Afghanistan was aimed to address the menace of terrorism in the region. Now neighboring countries have an opportunity to invest in Afghanistan and develop it.

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Afghanistan still has significant human rights problems and security challenges and this is why US is reluctant to invest in Afghanistan, but USAID is working in Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, what can a distant power do for Afghanistan? Not much.

 

[jhungary]

American intervention in Afghanistan was aimed to address the menace of terrorism in the region. Now neighboring countries have an opportunity to invest in Afghanistan and develop it.

The Historical Evolution of al-Qaeda’s Positions on China

Over al-Qaeda’s more than 30 years of existence, the organization’s public stance on China has changed quite dramatically. Al-Qaeda has moved from trying not to agitate Beijing, to fleetingly listing “East Turkestan” (i.e., Uyghur-dominated lands, primarily China’s Xinjiang province) amongst a...

www.hudson.org

China, Xinjiang, and the Uyghurs in Global Jihadist Propaganda | Small Wars Journal

China’s Xinjiang policies have drawn the ire of transnational militant organizations and the topic of Uyghur repression has found rhetorical traction within global jihadist discourse. Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (IS), and others have explicitly threatened China and prominent jihadist figures...

smallwarsjournal.com

Afghanistan still has significant human rights problems and security challenges and this is why US is reluctant to invest in Afghanistan, but USAID is working in Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, what can a distant power do for Afghanistan? Not much.

The person you reply to know nothing about Afghanistan.

The only thing to invest in Afghanistan is for their mine, and those mine are controlled by different fraction and those group are constantly fighting each other. That's why even with 1 trillion-dollar worth mineral mine in Afghanistan, it still the 2nd poorest country in the world.

You can't mine those ore in Afghanistan unless you have stability, and you can't have stability there unless you literally fight everybody. That's how Afghanistan work, you help one fraction, the others declare war on you, and you can't help everyone.

 

[beijingwalker]

Afghanistan still has significant human rights problems and security challenges and this is why US is reluctant to invest in Afghanistan, but USAID is working in Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, what can a distant power do for Afghanistan? Not much.

US never cares about distance when fermenting violence and terrorism in other countries.

Uyghur 'unrest' was a CIA narrative planned to destabilize China, top US army Chief admits. 2018​

America Funds Terrorism and Backs Terrorists

The U.S. is the largest state sponsor of terrorism

medium.com

How many terrorist groups / organisations has the US government funded?

Answer (1 of 2): Likely a few and this depends on your definition of "terrorist" organization and how you describe "funded" (directly, indirectly; intentional, unintentional). It's such a nebulous term. Some people call Israel the "Zionist Terrorist State". Some people call the CIA a terrorist...

www.quora.com

 

[El Sidd]

Has China decided to recognize the Taliban regime? Can we expect Chinese arms sales to the them to help them defend their borders?

Afghans have all sorts of weapons already. India has backed out of hundreds of deals with Afghanistan which may need some good ol tribal revenge for.

 

[beijingwalker]

China can only do meaningful , long term business with Afghanistan after US left. At least now the country has peace and order.

 

[TNT]

China can get hands on a lot of minerals but its also about altetnate connectivity. China will seek a route to iranian chabahar through Afghanistan. China planning this because Pakistan proved to be untrustworthy.

 

[大汉奸柳传志]

Has China decided to recognize the Taliban regime?

I would say pointing a new ambassador and presenting credentials to Kabul practically is a formal recognition, or at least a big step towards it

Can we expect Chinese arms sales to the them to help them defend their borders?

Against who exactly? the Americans?

 

[hussain0216]

China can get hands on a lot of minerals but its also about altetnate connectivity. China will seek a route to iranian chabahar through Afghanistan. China planning this because Pakistan proved to be untrustworthy.

So a route through millions of backwards namak haram afghans to a port in Iran

Rather then 240 million Pakistan, and a port and infrastructure made specifically for this purpose?