I expect to read a lot more about China’s presence in Afghanistan in the coming weeks. And it will be the type of discussion that gets politicians hot under the collar.
Geologist James Yeager, who served as an advisor to the Ministry of Mines in Afghanistan, will host a news conference on Thursday describing how a lack of interest from U.S. officials allowed China to gain a foothold in Afghanistan’s resource sector.
It’s a topic that was already attracting attention. I received a call from an NBC reporter in Kabul recently to talk about China’s $3.5 billion investment in the Aynak mine. Her report was due to air this week and will only help flag the issue.
I also notice that Robert Kaplan has published an editorial in the International Herald Tribune. In it, he worries that while America sheds blood, it is the Chinese who are profiting from any improvement in Afghanistan’s stability.
