A group of Chinese engineers and the Taliban government have officially started the implementation of a copper mine project in Afghanistan, with the aim of extracting ore from the world’s second largest copper deposit.
The development of the Copper Mine in Afghanistan
On July 24, the groundbreaking ceremony took place in “Mes Aynak”, located about 40 kilometers southeast of Kabul, where Taliban officials, businessmen and Chinese diplomats recorded the start of construction of a road to the mining site.
The $3 billion project, signed in 2008, granted the state-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation(MCC) a 30-year mining concession. However, conflicts between NATO troops and Taliban insurgents delayed the project for 16 years.
Since the Taliban seized power in 2021 and following the withdrawal of foreign troops, the decline in violence has allowed the Taliban government, facing economic difficulties, to seek to tap into the country’s vast mineral deposits.
Afghanistan-China economic relations
At the opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar expressed the urgency of making up for lost time with accelerated work. Taliban officials estimate that it will be“at least two years before MCC can extract the first copper“. For their part, Chinese diplomats welcomed the breakthrough as a sign of strengthening relations between Beijing and Kabul.
China’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, mentioned that economic and trade relations between the two countries are more consolidated. Since taking power, the Taliban have been immersed in the reconstruction and development of a country devastated by decades of war, although they face an economy suffocated by Western sanctions and international isolation that has prevented them from receiving financial support.
For its part, China has been an exception to the Taliban government, pledging to seek deeper cooperation soon after the group took control of Kabul. Beijing has been especially focused on exploiting Afghanistan’s resourcewealth, including oil, gas and rare earths.
Mes Aynak’s production
Mes Aynak is one of the most attractive projects for Chinese companies, with an estimated deposit of 11.5 million tons of copper ore. This mineral is essential for electronic components and its value has increased due to its use in emerging markets related to electric vehicles, renewable energy and data centers.
Retired professor of the Department of Geology and Mines at Kabul Polytechnic University, Amir Mohammad Musazai, mentioned that the Mes Aynak development is likely to produce copper worth more than the estimated $3 billion from large copper reserves in nearby areas.
Despite the inauguration at Mes Aynak, security concerns remain an issue holding back larger projects, largely dependent on Chinese engineers and personnel. For example, the July 24 ceremony was guarded by dozens of armed men, and Taliban officials ensured the protection of project personnel.
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Source: Oil Price
Photo: Shutterstock
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