China's recent 3.5 billion dollar contract bid for the Aynak Copper Field in Afghanistan is the single largest foreign investment in Afghanistan to date. Critics contend that China is getting a free-ride on the coat tails of U.S.-coalition stabilization efforts. However, the author argues that any economic stimulus, especially of this magnitude, should be seen as a boon to all parties who have an interest in a stable Afghan economy and government that can maintain its own security.