Just wait, China is now going to invest a shitload into Afghanistan's economy to get highways, railroads, and lithium mines up and running.
The loss of opium will hurt Afghanistan in the short term, but they have a replacement lined up this time. There's no way China will stripmine Africa for resources, building entire cities to do so, but ignore the lithium loaded near-eastern country in their own back yard.
Just wait, China is now going to invest a shitload into Afghanistan's economy to get highways, railroads, and lithium mines up and running.
The loss of opium will hurt Afghanistan in the short term, but they have a replacement lined up this time. There's no way China will stripmine Africa for resources, building entire cities to do so, but ignore the lithium loaded near-eastern country in their own back yard.
They can try. But I think they'll find it all so tiresome.
That assumes they'd use Afghan workers. They'll staff it with Chinese workers, and if the locals get uppity They'll send in the PLA.