IEA hoping to cement strong economic ties with China

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has said foreign investors, especially Chinese investors, are welcome to invest in the country and that plenty of opportunities are available.

According to Bilal Karimi, the deputy spokesman for the IEA, China’s economic role in the country is crucial and Afghanistan “welcomes Chinese investment”.

Economic experts meanwhile said Afghanistan-China trade volume currently amounts to $2 billion annually and that China is Afghanistan’s third-largest foreign economic partner.

As one of the world’s largest economies, China has said it is hoping to help Afghanistan become a global trade contender.

Recently, China’s Foreign Minister agreed with his Pakistani counterpart, at a meeting in Beijing, to bring Afghanistan into the CPEC (China – Pakistan Economic Corridor) trade route fold, a decision that Kabul has welcomed.

“China is an important and powerful country in the world, and China’s role in our country is very important. Economically, the Islamic Emirate needs the investment of all countries, especially China,” said Bilal Karimi.

Politicians also believe that China and Afghanistan have always had good relations and that the introduction of Chinese investment is critical for Afghanistan.

“China has always been interested in investing [in Afghanistan] since the Karzai era. Even before King Zahir Khan, and this shows China has always been on the side of the Afghan people,” said Wahidullah Sabawon, Chairman of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan.

Economists believe that China, by having up-to-date technology, can help Afghanistan progress and develop technologically.

“China is a very close country and friend to us. We have very big trade with them. We used to trade with China for up to $2 billion. Now it is Afghanistan’s third-largest economic partner in the world,” said Khan Jan Alkozai, deputy director of ACCI.

Afghans on the other hand have expressed satisfaction with China’s assistance in the past, saying that by investing in Afghanistan, China can provide job opportunities for Afghans.

“China is a great world power and it is good that Afghanistan is asking for its help,” said Ahmad, a resident of Kabul.

“China is an industrial country that can cooperate well with Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Qasim, another Kabul resident.

“When China helps Afghanistan, jobs will be created, people will no longer be killed on the border while fleeing the country,” said Khalid, another resident.

Religious scholars also said that help and friendship from people around the world knows no bounds. All countries need to have a positive view towards Afghanistan, they said.

“The Chinese government is an example to all non-Muslim countries, and they can help the people of Afghanistan,” said Hussain Jafari, a religious scholar.

The Chinese government has meanwhile distributed several consignments of food and non-food aid to the people of Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate came to power, and China was the first country to provide hundreds of thousands of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the people of Afghanistan.