China’s Copper Gamble In Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan Gathers Pace After 17 Years

Seventeen years after setting its sights on one of the world’s largest untapped copper reserves, a Chinese state-owned firm is finally making progress in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

The Mes Aynak mine in Logar province, linked to a 2008 agreement with China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), is nearing operational readiness. A long-stalled access road is almost complete, and the Taliban have backed a shift to underground mining to protect the site’s ancient Buddhist ruins.

The Mes Aynak deposit is believed to hold over 11 million tonnes of copper. As global demand surges, China, the world’s largest copper consumer, is deepening its footprint in mineral-rich but politically fragile regions.

For India, the project reflects Beijing’s expanding economic presence across the region, one that increasingly relies on commerce, not coercion.