London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Taliban in ‘no hurry’ to agree $10bn lithium deal with China

Taliban in ‘no hurry’ to agree $10bn lithium deal with China

The Taliban said on Monday they were not in a hurry to give China access to Afghanistan’s lithium reserves, despite an offer to pay for access to the rich deposits of the metal.
Afghanistan has abundant mineral riches, which also include copper, gold, oil, natural gas, uranium, bauxite and iron. The US Department of Defense estimated in 2010 that it could be holding $1 trillion of untapped mineral deposits.

The country’s reserves of lithium are key to the global supply of a metal that is crucial to the production of batteries for electric vehicles.

Chinese company Gochin held talks with Afghan Mines and Petroleum Minister Shahabuddin Delawar last month and, according to the ministry, offered to invest $10 billion in mining the metal and employing 120,000 people for the operations.

But although the deal could fuel hopes for the revival of Afghanistan’s reeling economy, its Taliban rulers say they are in no rush.

“We are not in a hurry for the lithium contract, we will not take hurried steps and action in this regard. We are not obliged to give this contract only to China,” Hamayoon Afghan, spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, told Arab News.

“It’s yet to be known when the contract will be signed and it’s not necessary for the contract to be signed only with China. We will consider our own benefits.”

Another government source, who was not authorized to talk to the media, told Arab News that a number of foreign companies had in recent months expressed interest in investing in Afghanistan’s mining sector.

The reason Beijing is interested in Afghanistan’s lithium reserves is related also to their proximity, according to Muhibullah Sharif, a political science expert in Kabul.

Afghanistan and China are connected by land through the narrow, resource-rich Wakhan Corridor.

“China wants to get it at a very low price and without applying any related international standards,” Sharif said.

“Such activity is intended to provide from one side raw materials for the industrialization of China and from other side to create a political block at the regional level against Western countries.”

While the Mining Ministry pledged after its meeting with China that the lithium would be processed entirely in Afghanistan and infrastructure would be built for the purpose, Sharif said he was skeptical about the commitment.

“It will be difficult for the Taliban to ensure that China will carry out its promises properly and in the interest of Afghanistan,” he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×