Senior Taliban officials and China’s ambassador to Kabul, Wang Yu, witnessed the televised signing ceremony in the Afghan capital, marking the first major foreign investment deal in Afghanistan since the Islamist group seized power in August 2021.Taliban mining minister Shahabuddin Dilawar told the event the contract with the Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co (CAPEIC) would bring $150 million a year in Chinese investment for the extraction of oil in the Amu river basin.The deal covers an area of 4,500 square kilometers collectively in northern Saripol, Jowzjan and Faryab provinces, creating job opportunities for around 3,000 Afghans, he said.“At the same time, I also believe and hope that the Afghan side take practical and effective measures to ensure a smooth and secure operation of the project … so as to enhance confidence for more foreign investors to develop their business and Afghanistan.”The Chinese state-owned National Petroleum Corp signed a similar contract with the U.S.-backed former Afghan government to extract oil at the Amu Darya basin.China has also not formally recognized the Taliban, but it has vowed to support and work with the Islamist rulers on economic development of Afghanistan."