Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban-appointed governor of Balkh province, has called on China to enhance its economic engagement with Afghanistan by investing in cold storage facilities and standardised agricultural production centres.
The request was made during a meeting with the Chinese ambassador in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Wafa emphasised the need for greater reciprocity in trade, urging that containers bringing Chinese imports into Afghanistan should not return empty. He pointed to the imbalance in trade, driven by Afghanistan’s heavy dependence on imports and limited domestic production capacity.
A statement from the governor’s office indicated that the Chinese ambassador reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to a number of infrastructure projects across Afghanistan. These include solar energy initiatives and the construction of dams in Kandahar province, with implementation set to begin later this year.
The ambassador also highlighted the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan transport corridor as a critical development for improving regional connectivity. He suggested the corridor could help transform Afghanistan into a more robust trading economy, boosting both exports and imports. Additionally, he stated that China does not levy tariffs on Afghan exports, a move designed to stimulate trade.
Wafa reiterated his request for the establishment of direct flights between Balkh and China to further ease commercial exchange. He also called for immediate investment in cold storage and standardised packing centres in the Nayeb Abad area, which he said would enable Afghan fruit and vegetable producers to meet export standards and better access Chinese markets.
He extended an open invitation to Chinese investors to explore business opportunities in Afghanistan, particularly in the agricultural and infrastructure sectors.
China remains one of the few major powers engaging economically with Afghanistan under Taliban rule, though its involvement is largely focused on short-term, high-yield projects. Despite signing an agreement for the large-scale Aynak copper mine project years ago, progress has stalled due to the project’s long timelines and substantial capital demands.
Analysts suggest that China continues to view Afghanistan as a high-risk environment for investment. Russian researcher Alexander Knyazev recently commented that Chinese firms prefer small-scale ventures with quicker returns. While major undertakings like Aynak remain dormant, smaller oil companies are actively operating in northern Afghanistan, drawn by the relatively fast turnaround in the petroleum sector.
