For centuries and long before even the idea – rather as an organization – appear – the trade routes that ran through the Hindos Cousse Mountains (Indo -Kavokasos), the commercial road known as the “southern Silk Road”, which started from Europe, Lapis Lazuli.
Lapis Lazouli, Lithium and a Belt, A Road
But now this road, if the Taliban finally accept China’s proposal for full integration into the initiative “One Belt, One Road”, will also fill with lithium, copper, iron and other minerals, which Beijing hopes to be able to obtain their licenses.
Already in 2023 the two governments, the Taliban and the CC China, have emphasized their mutual interest in the integration of Afghanistan and its commercial paths into the famous Chinese initiative and now the issue seems to be hotter.
Cooperation of CC China – Taliban for minerals and not only
According to the Taliban, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Ju, during a visit to Kabul where he had talks with his service bond, Amir Han Mutaki, announced that Beijing wishes to explore to mineral deposits and extinguishes it and to explore to mineral deposits and “A Belt, One Road” initiative.
At the meeting, according to the Chinese Foreign Minister, Beijing has made it clear that he wants to continue supporting the Afghan government to achieve long -term peace and stability, deepen mutual political confidence with Afghanistan and intensifying cooperation.
Among other things, Wang called on Afghanistan to fight the armed organizations acting on its territory – a statement specifically for the Islamic movement of Eastern Turkistan (Emm) – adding that the narrower security links would provide guarantee of bilateral economic cooperation.
Chinese pressures to accelerate the procedures are not accidental, and they are even closed in solid strategic planning and movements that have been made in the past.
New design on ancient mountainous passage
The Afghanistan lithium deposits are scattered in the Afghan provinces of Herat, Nimroz, Gunni, Badahsan, Nangar, Aprourza and Urujgan and is estimated that their total value can be up to $ 3 trillion. The quantities of deposits are estimated to be equivalent to those of Bolivia, but for the time being they are completely untapped.
If China manages to get licenses, on the one hand, the country’s economy will have a significant benefit, on the other hand Beijing will “get” another source of lithium and other critical minerals of its own, significantly limiting the US or other forces influence on this market that is extremely critical to the development of various technologies.
The central role in the Chinese plan of collaboration with Afghanistan is played by the province of Badahsan, as in this province, beyond the huge lithium reserves, there is a strong mining activity of Lapis Lazouli, and most importantly, there is the Vahan corridor, the most critical mountainous passage of the historic road.
The Vahan Corridor, the US withdrawal and China-Pakistani ambitions
The Bahan corridor still plays a crucial role today for China’s ambitions for the development of the initiative a zone, a road, since it is this corridor that joins the main Afghanistan with China and the province of Sinjiang in the northeast, while at the same time it is the northern border of Pakistan.
For years, the Chinese leadership has tried to control this corridor and with the departure of the US from Afghanistan in 2021 and the installation of the Taliban in Kabul, these efforts have taken the form of cooperation proposals for the development of this corridor, with infrastructure projects.
According to a statement on the issue of projects, by the Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs of the Taliban Baradar government, the projects were proceeding in 2024. According to the official page of the project, in an update in March 2025, the project is divided into two phases.
The first is the 50km road construction that will cover the Bazai Gonbad route to Little Pamir to the border with China, with the preparation of 60%for it (opening etc). And the second will be the asphalting of 71 kilometers recently commissioned by the Ministry for provincial revitalization and development. Overall the roads to be built will be eight meters wide and the project will cost about $ 2 million and will be completed by the end of the year.
According to Chinese planning, the Bahan corridor and the projects that want to close Beijing with Kabul will be included in the overall plan for the development of the China-Pakistan (CPEC), a $ 60 billion-worth-worthy plan, linking Sinjyan to China.
