Liberty Times reported that at least 20 Chinese companies, both state-owned and privately-owned, have inquired about lithium projects in Afghanistan. Global Times reported that, currently, five Chinese companies have stationed representatives in Afghanistan. They are conducting site inspections in order to develop lithium projects.
Afghanistan has large untapped reserves of copper, iron, zinc, lithium, and rare earths. These reserves are valued at more than $1 trillion.
Source: Liberty Times, November 24, 2021
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/3746854