Afghan refugees. Sorry but Britain is full up.

[johnofgwent]

It does, but can they get a route into landlocked Afghanistan? Karachi, Pakistan is the nearest port but there is no rail link.

China's strategy is often to build factories in enclosed cities and import the locals. They did this to make satellite and cable set top boxes. I suspect they will showcase the strategy to the taliban who will welcome the chance to exploit the gulags China will build to mine and refine these materials onsite as a way to remove the less than fundamentalist from their new society.


I expect most of the sons of the outgoing government ministers to end up being handed picks and shovels

[Borchester]

Well, that explains China's interest

Doubt it John.

The problem with untapped natural resources is that they are usually untapped because the sites are bastards to reach. In the normal course of events the Chinese would look at the cost of digging mines, building roads, killing off the Taliban and think sod it, it will be cheaper to buy up Cornwall.

I reckon that the Chinese will blunder into Afghanistan. Not for its mineral wealth or strategic position but because they are now a great power and lack the sense to stay out.

[papasmurf]

Crystal ball smurf it seems mine is better than yours.

If you have Crystal Balls you need to tread carefully.

[papasmurf]

Errr why?
Building Road and Rail links from Kashgar to Kabul through the Wakhan corridor is a purely Chinese/Afghan matter. Anyway Pakistan is already a signed up member of the project, so what would it want to object about?

That is not as easy as you seem to think:-
https://www.silkroadbriefing.com/news/2021/08/17/the-afghanistan-china-belt-road-initiative/https://www.silkroadbriefing.com/news/2021/08/17/the-afghanistan-china-belt-road-initiative/

[Sheepy]

Sheepy, the lessons from history were never learned when to comes to Afghanistan. The likelihood of peace and prosperity is zero with the Taliban in charge,.
I am not winding anyone up except those like you who are in ignorance of the reality of the situation.
It would be necessary to off all of the Taliban and all of the Warlords to improve the general Afghan's lot.
(I can't see that happening any time soon.)

Crystal ball smurf it seems mine is better than yours.

[papasmurf]

I have told you the war is over and I have no problem wishing peace and prosperity on the Afghan people I bear no grudges from history. So, you then start ranting about history because you had nothing else to wind people up about. The Taliban have spoken their piece and are putting that into actions speak louder than words. You don't have any say over it, because you are a moron.

Sheepy, the lessons from history were never learned when to comes to Afghanistan. The likelihood of peace and prosperity is zero with the Taliban in charge,.
I am not winding anyone up except those like you who are in ignorance of the reality of the situation.
It would be necessary to off all of the Taliban and all of the Warlords to improve the general Afghan's lot.
(I can't see that happening any time soon.)

[johnofgwent]

Make up your mind Smurphy either you want it to work for the sake of the Afghan people or you want them on boats in the channel, or planes at the airport. They are an Islamic country and Kabul is the capital, I don't see anyone with a problem saying any different with say Dubai.

I think you pick the wrong country to compare it to.


I think Iran's Theocracy, coupled with the enforcement aspects of Saudi Arabia's wahabi extremism, are better examples of how the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will go. I hold this belief from past personal dealings with Sausi and current dealings of acquaintancs of mine with the less extreme Arab states.

[Sampanviking]

They have to get the permission of Pakistan first.

Errr why?
Building Road and Rail links from Kashgar to Kabul through the Wakhan corridor is a purely Chinese/Afghan matter. Anyway Pakistan is already a signed up member of the project, so what would it want to object about?

[Sheepy]

Sheepy it is your mad rantings that need medication and probably counselling.

I have told you the war is over and I have no problem wishing peace and prosperity on the Afghan people I bear no grudges from history. So, you then start ranting about history because you had nothing else to wind people up about. The Taliban have spoken their piece and are putting that into actions speak louder than words. You don't have any say over it, because you are a moron.

[papasmurf]

Well, pappy if there is one country in the world that knows how to build infrastructure in even the harshest terrain.....
Besides China's main interest is to incorporate Afghanistan into the Belt and Road Development projects..

They have to get the permission of Pakistan first.

[papasmurf]

The police I would imagine.

That is not a police problem it is a home office and security services problem.

[Sampanviking]

I realise that but no seaport. (So unless the Chinese build a rail line from Karachi to Afghanistan any plans for exporting Afghanistan's mineral wealth to China, has some logistical problems.)

Well, pappy if there is one country in the world that knows how to build infrastructure in even the harshest terrain.....
Besides China's main interest is to incorporate Afghanistan into the Belt and Road Development projects..

[Borchester]

So who is going to sort out who is a refugee and who is a Taliban sympathisers? 

The police I would imagine. God knows they don't do much of anything else.

As to the rest.. we have just spent three quarters of a trillion pounds on the flu outbreak, which is a heartening comment on the state of the national finances. I dare say we can afford to fund a few refugees.

[papasmurf]

And you are heading fast for a lie down in a dark room with some nice medicine.

Sheepy it is your mad rantings that need medication and probably counselling.

[papasmurf]

They have a land border

I realise that but no seaport. (So unless the Chinese build a rail line from Karachi to Afghanistan any plans for exporting Afghanistan's mineral wealth to China, has some logistical problems.)