Taliban Seek to Formally Join China’s Belt and Road Initiative
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 and control vast mineral resources that would allow China to better manipulate the global economy.
Afghanistan's acting first deputy prime minister Abdul Ghani Baradar (L) and China's ambassador at Kabul, Wang Yu attend announce an oil extraction contract with a Chinese company in Kabul on Jan. 5, 2023. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP via Getty Images
The Taliban plans to send a team to China to formally seek membership for Afghanistan in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road).
The announcement follows the Taliban’s attendance this week at the third BRI forum in Beijing, which drew officials from Afghanistan and 34 other countries.
Andrew Thornebrooke
National Security Correspondent
Andrew Thornebrooke is a national security correspondent for The Epoch Times covering China-related issues with a focus on defense, military affairs, and national security. He holds a master's in military history from Norwich University.
