Contrary to other great powers like the United States or the European Union, China has decided to be conciliatory with the Taliban, new masters of Kabul.

Beijing first seeks to preserve interests in securing its border and the exploitation of raw materials.

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In recent days, it has been a singular voice in the international diplomatic concert. China has indeed a dissonant position compared to other countries which deplore the coming to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Contrary to powers like France or the United States, point of air evacuation of nationals or diplomatic rupture with the new leaders and their militias: Beijing wants to maintain friendly relations with the new power in place in Kabul and in this country of more than 30 million inhabitants.

China hopes in the first place for a certain stability on its border with Afghanistan.

He also wants to secure his investments in the country.

This circumstantial alliance seems perfectly unnatural, but China is taking advantage of the American departure to advance its pawns.

Moreover, it has not closed its embassy in Kabul and all this, moreover, had been anticipated by the Chinese government. 

The Uyghur question is central

We remember this astonishing meeting, on July 28, in China, between Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, number two of the Taliban, and Wang Yi, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The agreement between them was clear: China supports the Taliban regime, but in return it demands that they cut ties with the East Turkestan Islamist Movement, a Uyghur separatist organization that has claimed responsibility for several attacks in China.

On this point, Beijing would have obtained guarantees.

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In return, the Taliban want China to invest more in the country.

"The Taliban want good relations with China, that we participate in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. China has always respected the independence of Afghanistan, so we never intervened," said Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

A basement full of riches

And China already has investment projects in Afghanistan: it is already proposing to build roads in areas under Taliban control as well as a number of energy projects.

China would especially like to relaunch its mining projects by asking the Taliban to provide security.

This is the case with the Meïssa Unac copper mine, south-east of Kabul.

In 2007, China paid three and a half billion dollars for a 30-year concession to exploit the area, but was unable to do so due to insecurity.

Other operations could emerge, because the Afghan subsoil contains minerals and rare earths.

In 2010, an American report estimated their value at nearly 1,000 billion dollars, enough to whet many appetites.