Chinese-Afghan Oil Field Collapse Highlights Opaque Relationship Between Beijing and Taliban: Detained Chinese Employees Allegedly Held Hostage by the Taliban

In 2023, officials from Afghanistan, adorned in turbans, and their Chinese counterparts, clad in hard hats, gathered in Sar-e-Pul province to celebrate the opening of Chinese-invested oil fields. Located within the Amu Darya River basin, a significant Central Asian watershed encompassing glacier-capped mountains and vast deserts, these oil fields marked a significant milestone.

The signing ceremony in Kabul witnessed China’s envoy, Wang Yu, hailing the agreement as “an important project” for both countries. This was the first foreign investment in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in August 2021. Under the 25-year contract, China pledged an initial $540 million investment over three years.

According to Afghanistan’s then-Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, the agreement stipulated that the oil would be processed in Afghanistan, with no plans for exportation. However, two years later, the deal unraveled amid mutual accusations, providing insights into the complex relationship between Beijing and the Taliban.

Afghan officials accused the Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Company, the Chinese company responsible for the 2023 deal, of breaching the contract, while some Chinese employees working for AfgChin Oil and Gas Ltd., the joint venture managing the oil wells, alleged that the Taliban’s actions were akin to robbery.

In June 2025, the Taliban announced the termination of the contract, citing repeated violations by the Chinese firm. The decision was approved by the Taliban’s Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund. The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum claimed that the Chinese side failed to meet promised investments on time, neglected to pay royalties, or complete geological surveys and infrastructure projects, and had not addressed their complaints.

Chinese employees, on the other hand, asserted that the Taliban forcibly seized control of the joint venture and unlawfully expelled Chinese personnel at gunpoint. Twelve Chinese employees were subsequently detained, allegedly having their passports confiscated, effectively barring them from leaving the country.

Four sources with direct knowledge of the situation—three Chinese sources and one Afghan source—requested anonymity due to fears of retribution from both the Chinese government and the Taliban. NPR obtained a list containing the names and passport numbers of the 12 detained Chinese employees from AfgChin.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., stated that China attaches high importance to the protection of its citizens overseas but was “not familiar with the specific situation.”

The detained employees were reportedly confined to the offices of AfgChin in Kabul, under guard by General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) agents, and were not permitted to leave without permission. The Afghan source confirmed that this was considered a ban on exiting the country rather than house arrest.

Following a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Afghanistan last week, nine of the detained Chinese nationals had their passports returned, with eight subsequently returning to China. However, at least three employees were said to remain in Kabul to facilitate the handover of the joint venture to the Taliban, but would not be allowed to leave until the dispute was resolved.

The Afghan source stated that due to the absence of a formal mechanism for resolving disputes, it is unclear how long the remaining employees will have to stay in Afghanistan. The wife of one of the detained Chinese employees, who left Afghanistan last week, had previously pleaded with authorities to return their passports quickly, citing her husband’s deteriorating health due to diabetes and high blood pressure.

The two Chinese employees interviewed by NPR claimed that the Afghan side of the joint venture was now managing the oil wells, but with significantly reduced output due to a lack of expertise and resources. The saga between the Taliban and the Chinese company highlights the often-opaque nature of their relationship.