Source: Global Times
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post august 30 article, original title: Stay or leave? Chinese businessmen in Afghanistan face tough choices Yu Yong is at a commercial crossroads. Doing business in Kabul for the past four years, he has been in the gemstones, medical supplies and stationery business and intends to stay here for a long time. But as one of the Chinese who remain in Afghanistan, he wonders what the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the Taliban takeover will bring. As chaos engulfs the Central Asian country, Yu weighs the risks of staying behind and continuing to operate, "at the moment the business is basically on hold."
Afghanistan Infographic
Yu and other businessmen in Afghanistan are on a security and economic front. Yu said that shortly after the Taliban took over Kabul, the group's men visited Chinese businesses and provided business owners with documents to prove that their business activities were legitimate and would be protected, "The Taliban people — at least in Kabul are maintaining discipline ... At the moment it appears that the Taliban are doing a good job of implementing their announced policies, but it is difficult to say how long this will last." Yu Minghui, who has been doing business in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years, has had a similar experience, "The district commander [of the Taliban] came to see us in Chinatown in Kabul and said they were willing to help if they had any difficulties. They said they would help maintain order in the (Chinese) city." But the changing situation has had a huge impact on Chinese companies, with stores closing to avoid being robbed in the chaos, and "the rules of the game have been broken."
The Taliban are seeking to adopt a moderate attitude that is very different from that of 20 years ago. While this situation may remain in the short term, for Chinese businessmen remaining in Kabul, the future depends on a combination of long-term factors. In Yu Minghui's view, "Afghanistan's economic situation is backward, and if the West imposes sanctions, it will be worse." But experts believe that the West is unlikely to actually impose sanctions on the Taliban, because Europe is already worried about the Afghan refugee problem, and the sanctions may lead to further aggravation of the problem. The West is more interested in using sanctions as a negotiating tool than in imposing them.
Despite the current turbulent situation in Afghanistan, Chinese private entrepreneurs appear optimistic about their involvement in post-war reconstruction. Yu Yong said: "There are countless business opportunities in this post-war country, and the most prominent business opportunity is mining... The Taliban are likely to support mining development. Yu also said, "No matter who is in power, as long as economic development and trade are needed, Chinese and Chinese businessmen will be indispensable." (Author Rachel Zhang et al., translated by Cui Xiaodong)