Officials of the de facto administration have announced that Song Wenbing, the head of the Aynak Copper Mine contractor company, has revealed plans to invest over five billion dollars in the first phase of the Aynak Copper Project
On Tuesday, October 8th, Taliban authorities started a meeting between Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the prime minister’s political deputy, and Song Wenbing, the head of the Aynak Copper Mine contracting company.
Mes Aynak mine is a large copper mine located in the eastern part of Afghanistan in Logar province. Mes Aynak represents one of the largest copper reserves in Afghanistan and the world, with estimated reserves of 690 million tons of ore with a grade of 1.65 percent copper.
The statement quoted Mr. Wenbing as saying that this project will create direct employment opportunities for three thousand Afghans and send additional personnel to China for professional training.
He emphasized that efforts to expedite the immediate start of the Aynak Copper Mine project have been accelerated, and the machinery required for the project will be imported to Afghanistan next year.
According to the head of the contracting company, the initial mining operations will begin once the road leading to the area in Logar province is constructed.
Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources, but these have not been fully developed. Currently proven resources include mainly natural gas, coal, salt, chromium, iron, copper, mica, and emerald. The Aynak copper mine, located south of the capital Kabul, has proven reserves of total ore of about 700 million tons and a total volume of copper metal of 11.33 million tons. It is estimated that it could be the third largest copper belt in the world. Afghanistan may also have the fifth largest iron ore deposit in the world, with coal reserves of about 73 million tons.
The Aynak Copper Project was inaugurated in early July this year in Logar province.
The Aynak Copper Mine contract was initially signed in 2008 by the Afghanistan Republic government with a state-owned Chinese company. However, due to security issues and the competing interests of regional countries, the project faced continuous delays, preventing the commencement of mining operations. Despite the potential of this project, the challenges posed by instability and geopolitical tensions in the region hindered its progress during that time.
As the project resurfaces under the Taliban government, the successful exploitation of the Aynak mine remains dependent on several key factors, including Afghanistan’s internal security situation, regional dynamics, and broader global geopolitics.
In 2023, the trade volume between China and Afghanistan was $1.33 billion, an increase of 125.4% from the previous year. In 2021, Chinese enterprises made non-financial direct investment in Afghanistan of $2.82 million, down 35.9% from the previous year. Chinese enterprises signed a new engineering contract of $130,000 in Afghanistan, a decrease of 99.9% from the previous year; the realized revenue was $19.58 million, a decrease of 42.8% from the previous year. As of December 1, 2022, China granted zero tariff treatment to 98% of its products. China has actively participated in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, assisted in the construction of a number of livelihood projects, such as the Parwan Water Conservancy Rehabilitation Project and the Kabul Republican Hospital, and trained more than 2,000 professionals and technicians in various fields for the Afghan side through bilateral and multilateral channels. Since the Taliban came to power in August 2021, Beijing has cumulatively provided more than 480 million yuan of emergency humanitarian assistance to the country.
Stability in the region and effective international cooperation will determine whether the project can fully realize its economic potential and benefit Afghanistan’s development.
The Aynak Copper Project signifies a critical step in Afghanistan’s economic development. It provides both employment and infrastructure development, with significant foreign investment from China.
As the project progresses, its success could pave the way for further international collaborations in Afghanistan’s mining sector, potentially boosting the country’s financial stability and regional importance.
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