Amrullah Saleh Calls on China to Halt Exploitation of Afghan Resources

Kokcha News Agency: Amrullah Saleh, the Chairperson of the Afghanistan Green Trend, has issued a statement addressing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) regarding the exploitation of Afghanistan’s natural resources. Saleh highlighted that the PRC’s recent statement on the fate of Bagram Airport, which emphasized that it is up to the Afghan people, is significant because it indirectly acknowledges the lack of a legitimate state system in Afghanistan under the Taliban.

Saleh urged the Chinese authorities to recognize that the natural resources in Afghanistan, particularly in Badakhshan and Takhar provinces, are the property of the Afghan people. He called on China to stop its companies from exploiting and plundering these resources, especially the gold mines in the northeast.

Partnership with Drug Traffickers

Saleh pointed out that the gold mining operations in Takhar and Badakhshan are being conducted in partnership with Bashar Noorzai, the region’s largest narco-trafficker. He emphasized that such partnerships do not bring honor to China, the world’s second-largest economy. Saleh urged China to reconsider its companies’ collaborations with drug dealers and to withdraw from these operations until Afghanistan establishes a legitimate, representative, and accountable state system.

The Taliban’s Role in Resource Exploitation

Saleh warned that the profits from these illegal and dishonorable mining operations are strengthening the Taliban’s institutions of repression. He described the Taliban as an anti-national group that is destined to collapse and urged China not to associate itself with them.

Call for Accountability

Saleh concluded his statement by calling on the Chinese authorities to assess who benefits from these mining operations. He assured them that the dividends from these activities are not going to the Afghan people but are instead supporting the Taliban’s oppressive regime.