Turbaned Afghan officials and hard-hatted Chinese engineers gathered in Afghanistan’s Sar-e-Pul province in 2023, to mark the opening of Chinese-invested oil fields.

The fields are located in the Amu Darya River basin, a major Central Asian watershed that includes glacier-capped mountains and vast, arid deserts.

At a signing ceremony in Kabul, China’s envoy, Wang Yu, hailed the deal as “an important project” between the two countries. It was the first — and at the time, only — foreign investment in Afghanistan since the Taliban took back power in August 2021.

Under the 25-year-contract, China pledged to invest $540 million in the first three years.

How did a Major Chinese Investment in Afghanistan Collapse?

When the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took control, Chin

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