Modelling > Post Apocalyptic GB

Chinese Withdrawl From Pashtunistan

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apophenia:
End Game at the Drishti Navar lī kuàng

Mining activity in the Islamic Emirate of Pashtunistan (de Pakhtunkhwa Islami Imarat) was always dangerous. The last Chinese mining operation to shut down was the Dashti Nawar (Drishti Navar) lithium mine in Ghazni. [1] The Dashti Nawar mine was operated by state-owned Zijin Mining Group on behalf of the Tianqi Lithium Corp. [2] Initially, Kabul provided security but that force melted away during the civil war.  With the establishment of the Pashtun emirate, Kandahar withdrew the reformed Islami Imarat security police. At that point, Zijin took over its own security.

Dashti Nawar site control was contracted out to armed private security provider, Huawei Anquán fúwù (Huawei Af, or the Huawei Security Service). Huawei Af relied heavily upon sensor towers, aerostats, and drones - all of which, in turn, relied heavily upon artificial intelligence. That AI software would prove fatally flawed, but Huawei Af had already begun deploying armed security troops as well as attack drones (Gongjí wú rén ji) and armoured security walkers (Zhuangjia anquán bùxíng zhe or ZABZs).

Here we see a knocked out ZABZ - abandoned outside the former Dashti Nawar mine. ZABZ number 7 was the last Chinese security walker active at the mine site. It was disabled by a range of anti-armour weapons deployed against it by rebel fighters of the 'True Taliban'.

The walker was a late-model WZ(BJ)021 Shamò lóng (Desert Dragon) made by Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicles (SBSV). [3] On the turret side of this SBSV Shamò lóng is the logo of the armed private security provider, Huawei Af. To the rear of the Huawei Af marking is the logo of the customer - Zijin Mining. Front and rear, the WZ(BJ)021 displays traditional Chinese 'lucky cat' symbols. [4] Originally, these walkers were painted white overall with red trim. As attacks by the 'True Taliban' on Chinese personnel increased, this original scheme was oversprayed with the desert tan in evidence here. The Zijin logo was carefully painted around. Fresh 'lo-viz' Huawei Af markings have been applied on the desert scheme

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[1] The last PRC mining outpost in former-Afghanistan is the Badakshan Gold Mine in Sughd (which is, technically, now part of Tajikistan).

[2] Both firms had been looking for less 'constraining' opportunities after leaving Australian mine sites.

[3] WZ(BJ)021 is a Chinese industrial designation (since the walker was never adopted by the PLA, no actual military designation was ever applied). That WZ(BJ) designation prefix stands for Wuqì, Zhuangjia zuòzhàn bùxing ji or Weapon, Armoured combat (Walking Machine). The Shaanxi Baoji Special Vehicles Manufacturing Co., Ltd is named for its location - BaoJi City in ShaanXi Province.

[4] On the hull front is a black 'lucky cat' symbolizing safety (by warding off evil and stalkers). The red 'lucky cat' on the rear of the hull is also meant to symbolize protection from evil (while encouraging prosperity). The 'lucky cat' seems to have worked in reverse in the Islami Imarat - such depictions of animals enraging the more radical members of the 'True Taliban'.

Old Wombat:
 8) :smiley:

GTX_Admin:
Different

apophenia:

--- Quote from: GTX_Admin on October 04, 2021, 02:24:52 AM ---Different

--- End quote ---

I've probably strayed off brief for the GB. But, the idea was a slo-mo apocalypse precipitated by nation states breaking down and beginning to wink out of existence. It made sense to me that 'failed states' would go the first to go - and, as with natural decay, this would be an active process. Those failed states could drag down their immediate neighbours. Larger states and empires would then follow.

Buzzbomb:
The model,  finish and backstory are great

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