China's Got Afghan Fever, Again
Publisher: Foreign Policy
Author(s): Lynne O'Donnel
Date: 2023
Topics: Conflict Causes, Dispute Resolution/Mediation, Extractive Resources, Governance
Countries: Afghanistan, China
China, once again, seems to be mucking about in Afghanistan’s mineral-rich playground. The latest move is a maybe, could-be deal worth billions to tap Afghanistan’s rich veins of lithium, the key input for the energy transition that powers everything from laptops to electric cars. It could mean that billions of dollars will be pouring into securing a prosperous future for one of the world’s poorest countries. It probably won’t. The deal, like so much else China has done with Afghanistan in the last several decades, is more about politics than economics.