“Our most important partner,” Taliban spokesman said.
As part of China’s New Silk Road initiative, the Taliban-led Afghanistan will receive money and support, the group’s chief spokesman said. “China is our most important partner and represents a fundamental and extraordinary opportunity for us, because it is ready to invest and rebuild our country,” Zabilluah Mujahid stated.
China is also expected to maintain its embassy in Kabul, and could become one of the first countries to recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan.
Participation in the New Silk Road initiative would allow the Taliban to largely bypass American and European markets in favor of trade with China. Afghanistan has mineral wealth that could easily be worth more than $1 trillion, some geologists estimate. The country has some of the largest lithium deposits in the world and is believed to have major gold and iron caches as well. They have said that China would help them put Afghanistan’s “rich copper mines” back in operation and modernized.
President Biden’s administration has repeatedly claimed leverage over the Taliban, asserting that if the group wants access to financial markets and the international community, it will have to respect the rights of women and allow Afghans to leave the country.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for the president and his administration as they assess the economic leverage the U.S. may have over the Taliban in Afghanistan.
- For U.S. diplomatic efforts with China and the Taliban.
- For U.S. officials as they evaluate the mineral wealth that could potentially wind up in the hands of the Chinese government.
Sources: Daily Caller, Economic Times
