China’s mining company, Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC), will open an office in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul by the end of this month saying local media on Saturday citing government officials.
Afghanistan is rich with intact mines, natural resources and other valuable materials.
China is eyeing nearly $1 trillion worth of untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan with its growing economic power after the Taliban takeover of the war-torn country.
Five Chinese companies obtained special visas and arrived in Afghanistan last November to conduct on-site inspections of potential lithium projects.
The leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has assessed the agreement on Mes Aynak copper project and found no problems, Ariana News reported.
Burhan said that mining at Mes Aynak in Logar province will soon be underway.
Mes Aynak is estimated to hold 11.08 million tonnes of copper, according to the Mes Aynak Copper Project’s (MCPP) estimates.
Meanwhile, Afghan authorities have said that China is interested in mining more than any other country by 23 percent. Ariana News Reported.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, leading to the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani led government. Mass evacuations followed soon after.
For the most part of the 19th century, Russia and Britain fought a long-standing war for power in Afghanistan. The geopolitical competition recognized that Afghanistan was strategically positioned with respect to South Asia and its potential to influence it.
