The Heat: Chinese investment in Afghanistan

The Heat

Afghanistan’s economy is in tatters after years of war. Is Chinese investment the new hope for Afghanistan? What are the risks for China?

Afghanistan’s fragile economy has lost around a third of its value in the past year. While international organizations scale back following the withdrawal of NATO forces, China has promised Kabul billions of dollars in new investments, saying the Chinese are ready to play a constructive role. CCTV’s Natalie Carney provided an update on how Beijing is also prepared to help protect the border it shares with Afghanistan.

The Heat spoke to these guests:

  • Former Ambassador to Canada, Afghanistan and France Omar Samad. He is now a senior adviser to Afghan Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah.
  • From Shanghai, Yuqun Shao, a senior fellow at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies.
  • From Toronto Kamran Bokhari joined the discussion. He’s an expert on Middle Eastern and South Asian Affairs from Stratfor, a geo-political intelligence company.