China sends humanitarian aid shipments to Taliban

China delivered its first batch of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan yesterday.

This is a timely first step towards solidifying the future relationship between the two nations moving forward; a partnership founded on materials, instead of words.

One material in particular, Afghanistan’s abundant minerals, are completely eye-level with China’s anticipations for the future. Being one of the first countries to dedicate supply drops like this provides China with a head start for seeking out these minerals, once the situation in Afghanistan comes to a simmer.

For reference, Afghanistan is home to trillions of dollars worth of gold, platinum, silver, copper, iron, chromite, lithium, uranium, and aluminum. Additionally, the nation has a vast reserve of high-quality emeralds, rubies, sapphires, turquoise, and lapis lazuli.

China conveniently houses the world’s largest mining industry. In 2017, China produced more than 80 percent of rare earth metals and compounds in the world.

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China and the first batch of aid

China has not formally recognized the interim Taliban government as a legitimate governing body. Despite that, a little over week ago, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian spoke with Taliban officials and the former leaders of Afghanistan, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai and former president of the National Council of Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah.

During that meeting, Zhao spoke with the former and interim leaders to develop a consensus for moving forward with reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. The main condition for aid, as other countries have agreed on, is that the Taliban government proves itself to be inclusively-oriented.

In Zhao’s words, “China said we will not interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and has been playing a constructive role for the political settlement of the Afghan issue. The Afghan side should make a political arrangement that is open, inclusive and exercises prudent policy.”

During the G20 virtual foreign ministers’ meeting on Afghanistan on Sep. 23, Zhao confirmed that China will donate 200 million RMB worth ($30,523,095) of supplies to Afghanistan and 3 million Covid-19 vaccines. In the same excerpt from that meeting, five conditions were laid out for grappling with the Afghanistan problem. Most of these conditions revolve around ensuring the Taliban is operating from a foundation geared towards upholding basic human rights.

The conditions that do not involve the Taliban’s ethical outlook mainly focus on cooperation from external nations; those who are reluctant to provide aid at this point.

With a commitment as steep as this, alongside Afghanistan’s geographical role in China’s sweeping infrastructure initiatives, the relationship between the two only has potential to grow.

Baby steps

While this first package is unseemly, comprised mostly of blankets and clothing, which can hardly be used maliciously, the fact that China has long-standing investments in a wide array of industries in Afghanistan offers a unifying point.

The point that, following several sustained investments in Afghanistan’s infrastructure, mostly through Beijing’s belts and roads initiative (BRI), China will likely gain unprecedented access to the country’s mineral commodities. Some have argued that the current instability of Afghanistan, as well as attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan by Afghanistan-affiliated terrorists, will lessen the real presence of the BRI in the country.

Regardless, even if China doesn’t secure access to these minerals, the notion that Chinese companies are the forerunners for external economic and structural development will become the overarching narrative. This is only to the detriment of the U.S.’s global interests, which will be further exacerbated if China gains any substantial access to Afghanistan’s mineral troves.

As of this year, 140 nations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China to formally enter the BRI. If the BRI in Afghanistan pans out, the war-torn nation will be connected with Pakistan and China, offering streamlined connectivity between the three countries which has never been the case.