China Promises Taliban To Extract Aynak Copper Mine Without Damaging Cultural Heritage

Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador in Kabul, has assured the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture that the Aynak copper project will be carried out without damaging cultural heritage.

According to Bakhtar News Agency, affiliated to the Taliban, Xing emphasised on the continuation of cultural and economic cooperation between China and the Taliban.

On Monday, Bakhtar News Agency reported on the meeting between Khairullah Khairkhwa, the Taliban’s Minister of Information and Culture, and Xing.

Khairkhwa expressed satisfaction with the "development and strengthening of cultural relations" between Afghanistan and China, and considered the revival of the Silk Road important for the growth of cultural and economic relations in the region.

He said that China has upheld Afghanistan's national sovereignty and territorial integrity as a "good neighbour" and has consistently aimed to foster positive relations with the country.

This Taliban official also highlighted the investment and trade opportunities for Chinese traders in Afghanistan, emphasising that the Taliban ensures a secure environment for foreign companies.

According to Bakhtar, Xing emphasised that China has consistently upheld diplomatic relations and cooperation with Afghanistan across multiple domains.

He further pledged to execute the Aynak copper project in a manner that preserves cultural heritage. The ambassador urged the cooperation of the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture in this regard.

In the past two years, official authorities and the company responsible for copper mining have repeatedly promised to start this project, but without any official explanation, they have not commenced the project.

The contract for the extraction of the Aynak copper mine, which is Afghanistan's largest copper mine and the second-largest copper mine in the world, was signed between Afghanistan and a Chinese company in 2008.

This Chinese company now has the extraction rights for the Aynak copper mine for 30 years.