Representatives of the Afghan Taliban will attend China’s Belt and Road Forum this week, a spokesperson told Reuters on Saturday.
Taliban at Rare International Forum
The Taliban government’s acting Minister for Commerce and Industry, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, will visit Beijing in the coming days, ministry spokesperson Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad said in a text message to the media house.
“He will attend and will invite large investors” to Afghanistan, he said.
During his time in Beijing, Azizi will continue discussions on plans to build a road through the Wakhan corridor, which will provide direct access to China, Akhundzada added.
The Taliban’s presence at the key forum will underscore Beijing’s growing official ties with the administration despite its lack of formal international recognition.
Prior to this, Taliban officials and ministers have occasionally travelled to regional meetings, mostly those focussed on Afghanistan. However, the Belt and Road Forum is among the most high-profile international summits that the Afghan Taliban has been invited to attend thus far.
Why is Taliban Being Included?
China is on the verge of becoming the first nation to diplomatically recognize Taliban-led Afghanistan. It appointed an ambassador there last month and will soon host Taliban officials at its BRI forum. So long as Uyghur “terrorism” doesn’t get in the way.https://t.co/MbcL4fpoK7
— Derek J. Grossman (@DerekJGrossman) October 15, 2023
The forum in the Chinese capital is set to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday as the Xi Jinping Administration marks the 10th anniversary of the ambitious global infrastructure and energy initiative, which aims to boost global trade by recreating the ancient Silk Road. However, the project has also been criticised for debt-trapping developing nations that accept Chinese aid.
Afghanistan’s inclusion in the infrastructure initiative is beneficial for China, as the Central Asian country could offer an abundance of mineral resources. Reuters cited a “mines minister” claiming in 2010 that the country is home to “untapped deposits, ranging from copper to gold and lithium, worth between $1 trillion and $3 trillion.” However, it is unclear how much they are worth today.
China is currently in talks with the Taliban about opening a huge copper mine in the eastern part of the country, which was initiated under the previous foreign-backed government.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry is yet to comment on the matter.
China’s Inclusion of Afghanistan
Officials from China, the Taliban, and neighbouring Pakistan said in May that they would like the BRI project to include Afghanistan, and for the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to be extended across Pakistan, to Afghanistan.
Since the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban government has not gained formal recognition by any government.
Despite this, China has continued to build a relationship with the regime, becoming the first country to appoint an ambassador to Kabul since the Taliban’s seizure of government machinery, and also investing in mining projects.
Last month, China’s ambassador presented his credentials to the Taliban’s acting PM.
Meanwhile, other countries have either had their previous ambassadors hold their positions, or appointed heads of mission in a charge d’affaires capacity, a move that does not require the diplomat to present their credentials to the government formally.