America Fights While China Builds

One nation is fighting battles while the other is building new constructions. That is an accurate description of the U.S. and China, currently the two greatest outside influences on Afghanistan. But while combined U.S. and NATO forces now total over 150,000, defeat of the Taliban is still nowhere in sight due to the complexity of this militant organization.

　

China borders Afghanistan but has not participated in the conflict, choosing instead to gradually develop an advantage through trade and economic involvement. According to reports, China is focusing on trade and investment rather than providing financial aid at the national level. In April 2009, it poured in the largest foreign investment to date with the China Metallurgical Construction Company’s US$3.5 billion purchase of Aynak, the world’s second largest copper mine. The mine is located 50 kilometers south of Kabul in the Logar province, an area still largely controlled by the Taliban, and is being protected by U.S. and NATO forces. In addition to building new schools, homes and hospitals, this investment will help economic development and increase employment by creating 8,000 jobs, a 400-megawatt power plant, a copper smelting plant and a railroad connecting to Tajikistan. In the past, unemployment among young people has been responsible for the Taliban’s growing ranks, but if the group persists in interfering with modernization, they will end up losing control rather than benefiting the nation as a whole.

　

Chinese businesses are also being opened in Kabul. They provide residents with necessary commodities and will be an important part of national reconstruction, as Afghanistan needs household goods in addition to large-scale constructions. Fortunately, Chinese products are economical and convenient to transport.

　

In truth, American and Chinese efforts in Afghanistan are complementary because fighting a war without developing infrastructure won’t solve Afghanistan’s problems. At the same time, on-going construction projects cannot be completed without the necessary protection. So from this perspective, America and China are both playing their roles to help Afghanistan.