#taliban #lithium #nato
While China lurks nearby to plunder resources, the Taliban are sitting on a lithium treasure trove.
31st May, Kabul (EFE). Due to decades of conflict in the nation, the Taliban administration is sitting on enormous natural reserves in Afghanistan in the form of lithium resources that remain unexplored, piqueing the interest of global investors, particularly the Chinese.
According to a recent survey by the previous administration, Afghanistan's newly discovered lithium mines are worth more than $3 trillion, Ashiqullah Hamkar, an engineer working for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, told EFE.
While there are lesser concentrations in other regions of the nation, the majority of Afghanistan's lithium reserves are concentrated in the eastern provinces of Nuristan and Kunar and the southwestern province of Helmand.
China sees a unique opportunity in the extraction of lithium and has expressed its interest in light of the United States-led NATO's departure from Afghanistan and the Taliban's resumption of power.
The Chinese company Gochin has previously indicated interest in investing $10 billion in lithium extraction in Afghanistan, according to the Taliban leadership.
Several other nations are prepared to explore the industry, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum recently told the media.
However, given Beijing's lack of technical knowledge and competent workers in this area, some experts believe that the Chinese investment could harm Afghan interests.
"Afghanistan will not benefit from contracts with China. In order to maintain control over the supply and prices of lithium, the Chinese will, at best, win the contract and hold onto it, according to economic analyst Noorullah Azizi.
In exchange for assistance and legitimacy on the international stage, the Taliban leadership appears eager to sign a number of contracts with China, but some predict Beijing will take advantage of the agreements to further its own objectives.
"Based on the most recent contracts, it appears that China will also receive lithium contracts. We must have alternative options since relying solely on Chinese investment is risky from an economic and political standpoint, Azizi said. China, though, is irrelevant in Afghanistan's eyes after it fought two superpowers.
Another economic researcher, Eiraj Faqiri, stressed that China might now exploit Afghanistan's vulnerability as a result of the Taliban taking control of the nation.
Politics and economics are no longer distinct disciplines. China would gain greatly from this investment, and Afghanistan will become the focal point of competition between superpowers, according to Faquiri.
"Extreme ideologies and Taliban abuse of human rights are another worry. The analyst continued, "If the Taliban discover sufficient financial resources, they will no longer be under pressure and will continue to violate rights, particularly those of women.
The processing of the lithium reserves, according to the Taliban government, would take place domestically, and the Chinese investment, which would also encompass other infrastructure projects, would provide over 120,000 direct jobs and a million indirect ones.
The demand for lithium, a mineral that is a crucial part of modern batteries and is primarily utilized in the production of drones, cars, computers, and mobile phones, among other products, is anticipated to soar in the coming years.
Afghanistan's deposits may be quite important to the geopolitical dynamics of the area in this regard.
Afghanistan's economy will benefit if the Taliban manage the technical components of the deal successfully and welcome businesses from other nations to invest.
It is noteworthy because Afghan lithium is of higher quality than lithium from other regions of the world, according to Yasin Rahimi, a mining industry specialist, who spoke with EFE.
