The Taliban has announced its interest in creating a trade route with China in the historic Wakhan Corridor and connecting Afghanistan to the One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI).
Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban Minister of Industry and Commerce, said that the establishment of a trade route in the Wakhan Corridor, which connects Afghanistan to China, would “increase the level of trade between the two countries and become a reliable route for the transit of goods,” according to TOLOnews.
Taliban deputy Minister of Economy Abdul Latif Nazari added that “The connection of Afghanistan with the One Belt One Road initiatives or Silk Road benefits Afghan stability and development.”
Since the withdrawal of international forces and the Taliban takeover in August 2021, China has sought to tap into Afghanistan’s economic potential, laying the foundation for Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) expansion into the country through trade and investments, as well as exploiting the vast natural resources the country has to offer, such as oil, gas, copper, gold, lithium, and other rare earth metals.
This August, an array of meetings was held in Kabul between Taliban and Chinese officials to expand economic and diplomatic cooperation. The most prominent was that of China’s Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs, Yue Xiaoyong, meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Taliban Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two stressed economic development, with the IEA’s Arg Palace Twitter account tweeting that Xiaoyong said “China wants good governance in Afghanistan, Chinese investors and companies will be encouraged to invest in Afghanistan. Visas are given to Afghan businessmen, Chinese flights to Afghanistan are starting and we want to increase Chinese imports to Afghanistan.”
The acting Minister of Industry and Mines in a video said that the Wakhan corridor can increase trade levels between China and Afghanistan.#TOLOnews pic.twitter.com/V3quMABKBD
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) November 28, 2022
China, however, may still be weary in shifting its BRI focus to Afghanistan as the country continues to face security threats from other militant groups operating in the country, such as Uyghur extremists and the Islamic State. China has the potential to tap into the Taliban to offer protection in exchange for increased investment opportunities, which comes as the IEA faces several billions of dollars frozen in international funds.
