Beijing’s cash turns deadly in Kabul: Why China is suddenly a target in Taliban power politics | Explained

A Taliban security personnel stands guard during the inauguration ceremony of a Mes Aynak copper deposit mining project, in Shast Bandari area of Mohammad Agha district at Logar province on July 24, 2024. Chinese engineers and the Taliban government broke ground in Afghanistan on July 24, on a project to mine the world's second-largest copper deposit after a 16-year delay caused by war. (Photo by Wakil KOHSAR / AFP)

China’s growing economic role in Afghanistan is fueling internal Taliban tensions, with Kandahar leaders benefiting from Chinese investments while the Haqqani network sees them as a threat, leading to violence and power struggles in Kabul.

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China’s expanding economic role in Afghanistan has emerged as a major source of internal tension within the Taliban, triggering a power struggle that is increasingly spilling onto the streets of Kabul.

According to Taliban-linked sources cited by CNN-News18, the fault line runs between the Kandahar-based leadership loyal to Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the powerful Haqqani network, which dominates Kabul’s security apparatus.

Sources said the Kandahar camp sees China as a critical economic and diplomatic partner at a time when the Taliban remains internationally isolated. Chinese investments in mining, oil and infrastructure provide quick cash and come without human rights conditions, a combination that strengthens Akhundzada’s grip on power. Beijing’s engagement also offers a measure of international legitimacy that Western governments have refused to extend.

At the centre of this economic channel is Bashir Noorzai, a prominent warlord and close Akhundzada ally from the influential Noorzai tribal network. Since his release in a 2022 prisoner swap with the United States, Noorzai has reportedly become the primary conduit for Chinese investments entering Afghanistan.

Taliban sources told CNN-News18 that a recent attack in Kabul was aimed less at Chinese nationals themselves and more at disrupting Noorzai’s role. Weakening him, they believe, would undermine Kandahar’s economic leverage.

From the Haqqani network’s perspective, Chinese money has altered the internal balance of power. “Cash is everything for the Taliban right now, and Chinese funding is making Kandahar stronger,” a source said.

By creating insecurity around Chinese-linked projects, Haqqani-aligned actors believe Beijing could slow or halt investments, forcing Kandahar leaders back into negotiations over power-sharing and control of resources.

This rivalry has increasingly intersected with the activities of Islamic State Khorasan Province, which has openly targeted Chinese interests over Beijing’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Taliban insiders suggest attacks on Chinese-linked targets serve multiple purposes by unsettling investors, weakening Kandahar’s finances and reshaping internal Taliban dynamics.

For Kandahar, Chinese engagement represents economic survival and diplomatic cover. For the Haqqanis, it is a strategic threat. As Afghanistan’s fragile power balance continues to shift, China’s presence has become a central factor in the Taliban’s internal struggle, with violence increasingly used as a tool to renegotiate authority within the movement.