China forays into Afghanistan eyeing its lithium reserves

April 08, 2022 15:02

While the whole world focusses on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, China is eyeing the minerals of the war-torn country which has reserves of untapped lithium minerals.

Last year, in November, five Chinese businesses were granted special visas and arrived in Afghanistan to inspect the possible lithium projects, according to Hong Kong Post citing Ariana News.

Lithium is one of the several minerals that were unexplored in Afghanistan, owing primarily to years of political instability and a lack of infrastructure.

A Chinese business company obtained the rights to the world's largest copper deposits in Afghanistan's Aynak region more than a decade ago but has not yet started the operation in the region, Hong Kong Post reported.

Esmatullah Burhan, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan leadership, reviewed the Mes Aynak copper project deal and said that the mining in Mes Aynak in Logar province will start shortly.

The publication believes that Beijing can give the political recognition and the economic investment to Afghanistan that they were desperately looking for. On the other hand, China is looking for access to the USD 1 trillion in underdeveloped mineral reserves. -- ANI

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