A former adviser to the Afghan president has spoken about the importance of Afghanistan’s position to China. This also affects the closeness of the Taliban and China, even though the two parties are different.
“Their interests are purely economic and political,” Mohammad Shafiq Hamdan, former deputy security adviser to President Ashraf Ghani, told CNBC.
China and the Taliban are also considered to have no equal footing other than being in opposition to the US presence.
Hamdan also confirmed that China is interested in mineral resources in Afghanistan which are worth trillions of dollars. China is also seen as an alternative to the Taliban who are in dire need of economic assistance.
Previously, ABC Australia also reported the predictions of international relations experts regarding the prospects for Chinese investment in Afghanistan, including those related to the New Silk Road alias Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
China is also considered an alternative because western countries are still reluctant to deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan. There is also China’s interest in mineral resources in Afghanistan, including lithium.
In addition, China has also promised to provide humanitarian funds for Afghanistan.
Ashraf Ghani is the Afghan president who fled abroad after the Taliban began infiltrating Kabul. Ghani said he was facing the death penalty.
China’s Aid for Afghanistan
Earlier reports, China pledged 200 million yuan (Rp 441 billion) in aid to Afghanistan, including food supplies and COVID-19 vaccines.
The aid comes as China says it is ready to maintain communication with the Taliban government.
He added sensasi bermain togel online that the formation of a new interim government was a “necessary step to restore order” in Afghanistan.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced relief measures for Afghanistan at a meeting on Wednesday (8/9), with colleagues from some of Afghanistan’s neighbors — Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
He called on these countries to cooperate in helping Afghanistan, adding that China would also provide 3 million doses of the vaccine to the country.
China has also been vocally critical of the US troop withdrawal, saying its troops have “destroyed” Afghanistan.