China Becomes The First Country To Send A New Ambassador To Afghanistan Since The Taliban Takeover

 

Reuters: China becomes first to name new Afghan ambassador under Taliban 

KABUL (Reuters) - China became the first country on Wednesday to formally name a new ambassador to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, after its envoy presented credentials at a ceremony in Kabul. 

The Taliban have not been officially recognized by any foreign government, and Beijing did not indicate whether Wednesday's appointment signaled any wider steps towards formal recognition of the Taliban.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China has yet to formally recognize the Taliban government. But this is a first step towards a formal recognition by China that the Taliban are the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. 

China Becomes The First Country To Send A New Ambassador To Afghanistan Since The Taliban Takeover  

Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare, say it’s a sign for others to establish relations -- AP  

Afghanistan: Taliban welcomes first new Chinese ambassador since takeover -- BBC  

Taliban welcomes China’s new ambassador to Afghanistan in lavish ceremony -- CNN  

China appoints ambassador to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan -- DW  

China Appoints First Ambassador to Afghanistan Since Taliban Return -- VOA

Afghan - China Ties Continue To Grow

(Photo Credit: India Today)  

The Cradle: Taliban, China discuss banking cooperation  

Although Beijing does not have formal diplomatic ties with the Taliban government, China is among the few countries that have maintained a diplomatic presence in Kabul since the Taliban took back the country following the US’ disastrous withdrawal in 2021 

The Taliban’s governor of the Afghan central bank Hidayatullah Badri met with Chinese envoy Wang Yu this week to discuss banking ties and business, the bank’s spokesperson informed Reuters on 16 June. 

“In this meeting, economy, banking relations, business and some related topics were discussed,” said Badri. 

Although Beijing does not have formal diplomatic ties with the Taliban government, China is among the few countries that have maintained a diplomatic presence in Kabul since the Taliban took back the country following the US’ disastrous withdrawal in 2021. 

Following the withdrawal, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Italian news outlet La Repubblica that China would be its principal partner in rebuilding Afghanistan after a 20-year US occupation.  

Read more ....  

Update: Taliban's central-bank governor meets Chinese envoy to discuss (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: Ties between China and Afghanistan are definitely growing .... Afghanistan Accepted Into China’s Belt & Road Initiative (Silk Road Briefing). More here .... Cooperation with China brings hope for positive change in Afghanistan after US ravages (Global Times).

China Offers The Afghan Taliban $10 Billion To Develop Their Lithium Deposits

An internal Pentagon memo based on a Defense Department task force on Afghanistan minerals described the country as a potential "Saudi Arabia of lithium."  

The Cradle: Chinese company proposes $10bn investment in Afghan lithium reserves 

Identified as Gochin, the company seeks to help build infrastructure and mine the national lithium reserves 

The Taliban-led government of Afghanistan disclosed on 15 April that a Chinese company reached out to Kabul with a $10 billion investment proposal to mine the national lithium reserves and to provide assistance in the construction of infrastructure. 

The head of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, made the announcement following a meeting he had with representatives of the Chinese company, commonly identified as Gochin, which expressed interest in mining the national lithium reserves. 

During the meeting, the Chinese company stressed its interest in developing specific infrastructure, such as a hydroelectric dam and a new tunnel by the Salang gateway, connecting east Afghanistan with its northern gateway to Russia and China.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: The Real Reason Behind China’s $10 Billion Offer To Taliban For Lithium (Zero Hedge/Epoch Times)  

Update #2: Chinese Firm Said to Offer $10 Billion to Mine Afghanistan Lithium (Globely News)  

WNU Editor: If these reports are true, it would be a huge financial boost for the Taliban controlled Afghan government if they accept.

Afghan Taliban Sign Oil Deal With China

 

OilPrice.com: Taliban Signs Oil Deal With Chinese 

The Taliban’s signing of an international oil deal with the Chinese was televised on Thursday--its first international agreement since it took over Afghanistan in August 2021, according to the Diplomat. 

The Taliban struck a 25-year deal with China-based Xinjiang central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co (CAPEIC) for the Amu Darya oil project.

Under the terms of the deal, CAPEIC will invest $150 million per year over the next three years in Afghanistan, then $540 million per year for the next 22 years. The Taliban will carry a 20% share in the project but will have the option to increase its stake to 75%.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: It looks like US pressure is not working .... US Warns of Costs if Taliban Do Not Reverse Bans on Women (VOA). 

Afghan Taliban Sign Oil Deal With China  

Afghanistan's Taliban administration in oil extraction deal with -- Reuters 

Taliban Seal Afghan Oil Deal With China -- VOA  

Taliban signs first international deal with China for major foreign investment in Afghanistan -- The Independent  

Chinese Firm Signs Deal With Taliban to Produce Oil in Afghanistan -- Bloomberg

Islamic State Deliberately Targeting Chinese Interests In Afghanistan

Smoke billows from a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul following a bomb attack in the Afghan capital on December 12  

RFE: The Azadi Briefing: Islamic State Targets Chinese Interests In Afghanistan  

The Key Issue T

he Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group carried out a deadly gun and bomb attack on a Chinese-owned hotel in central Kabul on December 12. 

The Taliban said it killed all three attackers, and that two foreign nationals were lightly wounded. Beijing contradicted the Taliban by saying that at least five Chinese hotel guests were injured in the assault. 

More than 30 Chinese citizens were in the hotel at the time of the attack, according to a leading Chinese businessman in Afghanistan. The Emergency Hospital in Kabul said it had received three dead bodies and 18 wounded.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is a major blow for the Taliban .... Big Blow to Taliban as China Orders Evacuation of its Citizens from Afghanistan After Kabul Hotel Attack (News 18). 

Islamic State Deliberately Targeting Chinese Interests In Afghanistan 

 Kabul hotel used by China nationals attacked as perceived allies of Afghanistan's Taliban rulers are targeted -- CBS News  

Five Chinese nationals were wounded in Kabul hotel attack - Chinese foreign ministry -- Reuters  

Beijing 'shocked' by attack on Afghan hotel hosting Chinese visitors -- France 24  

Chinese investors weigh risks after Kabul hotel attack -- Reuters

China Urges US To Immediately Lift Sanctions On The Taliban

China state media  

Zero Hedge: China Urges US To Immediately Lift Sanctions On Taliban As "Economic Chaos" Looms 

China is now urging the United States to immediately lift sanctions against the Taliban and unfreeze all of Afghanistan's assets abroad. As part of its appeal, Beijing is offering assurances to Washington that the hardline Islamist group will "effectively" protect the rights of women and minorities. 

Beijing is further warning the West of looming "economic chaos" in the war-torn central Asian country if more is not urgently done to relieve the economic pressure and allow for greater stability. "China urges the Western countries, led by the United States as a whole, to lift sanctions, and calls on all parties to engage with the Afghan Taliban in a rational and pragmatic manner," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week following two days of talks with the Taliban which concluded Tuesday in Doha. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: After two days of talks China forwarded $6 million in humanitarian aid to the Taliban. 

This contribution is a joke. 

To put this into context. The U.S. provided $150 billion in nonmilitary aid from 2001 to 2020 (link here). This also does not included the tens of billions of non-military aid from Europeans and international organizations over the years. 

I am willing to bet that this pittance of Chinese aid is not even going to go to the people who need it the most. 

Bottom line. 

Beijing's promise to rebuild Afghanistan lacks a lot of financial commitment to back it up. 

Beijing is also offering assurances to Washington that the hardline Islamist group will "effectively" protect the rights of women and minorities. These assurances are worth nothing. 

More News On the Latest Talks Between China And The Taliban 

China Pledges to Help Taliban ‘Rebuild the Country’ in Doha Meeting -- India.com  

China Vows to Help Taliban ‘Rebuild the Country’ in Doha Meeting -- Bloomberg  

Taliban are eager for dialogue with the world, Chinese minister says -- Reuters  

China set for closer interaction with Afghan Taliban, urges US to engage -- SCMP  

Afghanistan, China to create committees for strengthening bilateral relations -- Khaama Press

China Now Leery Of Getting Involved In Afghanistan

US News and World Report: Violence Undermines China’s Plans in Afghanistan, Risks Luring it Into Quagmire 

A recent attack in Afghanistan carried out by a Uighur Muslim has shaken China’s top national security decisionmakers, who now question the value of promises from the Taliban. 

China's top national security decisionmakers are stunned by a devastating suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan last week reportedly carried out by a Uighur Muslim, sources say, provoking Beijing to either disrupt its march toward greater investments in the Taliban government or to commit further to the quagmire that has stymied other superpowers for decades.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China is going to keep the communication lines with the Taliban open. It will provide aid, but only a fraction of what Afghanistan really needs. It will give diplomatic support, but not recognition. And it will certainly not make any major multi-billion dollar investments in Afghanistan until the security situation stabilizes, which many in Beijing are now expecting will take a very very long time.

China Is Not Going To Rush Into Afghanistan

View of a gold mine in Nor Aaba, Takhar province, Afghanistan. Omar Sobhani, Reuters  

CNBC: China’s rumored ambitions to dive into Afghanistan are overstated and unrealistic, experts say 

* While China has made clear its approval of the Taliban, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ready to commit to doing business with them. 

* Afghanistan’s mineral wealth is staggering — but security risks and a lack of infrastructure make investment there difficult. 

One of the first things many Western pundits predicted as the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan unraveled was the replacement in that power vacuum by China, long a critic of and strategic adversary to the U.S. 

Afghanistan has trillions of dollars worth of untapped mineral resources, and is in dire need of infrastructure investment, making it in theory a prime ground for China’s expansive Belt and Road Initiative. 

What’s more, China is one of the few countries and the only economic superpower to have so far established friendly relations with the Taliban, who shocked the world in early August by overtaking Afghanistan in a matter of days. 

Read more .... 

 WNU Editor: China has just provided $31 million in aid .... China extends a fast helping hand to the Taliban (Asia Times). But the Taliban government needs billions more to avoid economic collapse, and tens of billions to build the infrastructure to extract its mineral resources. China is not going to take that risk right now.

The Taliban Rush To Embrace China. Promise To Protect China's Interests

 

SCMP: Taliban to support belt and road plan of ‘trustworthy friend’ China 

Afghanistan will continue to participate in China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Taliban have said, expressing hopes to rely on Beijing's investment and support to rebuild the war-ravaged country while promising to protect Chinese interests there. 

The pledge from Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy director of the Taliban's office in Doha, Qatar, came as China aimed to consolidate relations with the Afghan regime led by the Islamic militant group, despite many uncertainties. 

In a phone conversation with Chinese assistant foreign minister Wu Jianghao on Thursday, Hanafi said the Islamic group would "take effective measures" to protect Chinese institutions and personnel in Afghanistan. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: Afghanistan: Taliban to rely on Chinese funds, spokesperson says (Al Jazeera)  

Update #2: Taliban: China to keep embassy in Afghanistan and increase aid (MSN)  

WNU Editor: China is going to say all the right things to keep their relationship with the Taliban on a positive note, but aside from some simple aid, they are going to be cautious before making a serious financial commitment to the country. 

Beijing also knows that time will favor China getting better terms in any development/business projects with the new Taliban government. No one is going to invest in Afghanistan right now, and that is going to be Beijing's leverage.

China Pledges To Help Rebuild Afghanistan And Insists The U.S. Help Pay For Its Reconstruction

 

SCMP: China pledges to help rebuild Afghanistan and, while blaming US for chaos, insists it pays too  

China has pledged to help reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan after American troops have completely withdrawn, but demands that Washington also pay its share. 

In a sign that tensions between the two rivals will persist, the Chinese foreign ministry issued its criticism and demands for the United States on Tuesday, following Washington’s announcement that its mission in the Central Asian nation had ended. 

The development marked a new start in Afghanistan for peace and development, but the US must reflect on its failure, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a press conference. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Chinese state media is saying that China is best positioned to help Afghanistan's reconstruction .... Why China is best positioned to help Afghanistan reconstruction (Global Times). The Taliban are in agreement .... China, our ‘great neighbour’, will help Afghanistan forge peace: Taliban (SCMP). 

More News On China - Taliban/Afghanistan Relations  

Chinese foreign minister tells top U.S. diplomat world must 'positively guide' Taliban -- Reuters  

China Likely to Recognize Taliban as Government of Afghanistan -- Foreign Policy  

Taliban in Kabul maintaining discipline, Chinese businesspeople say -- SCMP  

China’s special Afghan envoy upbeat about relations with ‘friendly’ Taliban -- SCMP  

Watch How China Handles Afghanistan -- The Atlantic  

Why China Wants To Get In On Afghanistan’s Reconstruction -- Forbes

Here's What A Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan May Mean For China -- NPR 

Pakistan-China Relations and the Fall of Afghanistan -- The Diplomat

China Says It Has Established An “Open And Effective Communication And Consultation With The Afghan Taliban"

The Taliban’s political chief, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Tianjin in July 2021. Li Ran/Xinhua/Reuters  

Military Times/AP: China blasts US over Afghanistan pullout, describes ‘effective’ talks with Taliban 

BEIJING — China says it has established an “open and effective communication and consultation with the Afghan Taliban,” following a meeting between representatives of the group and Beijing’s ambassador to Kabul.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin gave no details about the Tuesday meeting between the deputy head of the Taliban’s political office, Abdul Salam Hanafi and Ambassador Wang Yu. 

But he said China considered Kabul to be an “important platform and channel for both sides to discuss important matters of all kinds.” 

China hosted a delegation led by senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar for talks last month, prior to the group’s lightning sweep to power in Kabul.

Read more ....  

Update: How Will China Deal With the Taliban? (Ian Johnson, CFR Expert)  

WNU Editor: China is not alone .... China and Russia show common front on Afghanistan (Reuters).

China Voices Its Opposition To Imposing Sanctions On The Taliban. Promises Aid To Reconstruct The Country

Taliban militants are seen inside the Ghazni city, eastern Afghanistan, Aug. 12, 2021. Taliban militants Thursday overran Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province's capital city Ghazni, 150 km from the national capital Kabul, provincial council member Hasan Reza Yusufi said. Photo:Xinhua 

Hindustan Times: Imposing sanctions on Taliban will be counterproductive, says China 

China, which shares a border with Afghanistan, has sought to maintain friendly ties with the Taliban, and has seized on the US pullback from the country to sharpen its criticism of Washington 

China on Tuesday said imposing sanctions on the Taliban in Afghanistan will prove counterproductive, and urged the international community to support chances for positive developments in the country.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: China says sanctions on Taliban not productive (FOX News/AP)  

Update #2: China Eyes Afghanistan's $1 Trillion of Minerals With Risky Bet on Taliban (Bloomberg)  

WNU Editor: China is already publicly announcing that they will provide aid and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan .... China to offer 'genuine' aid in Afghanistan's economic reconstruction amid chaotic transition (Global Times).

With The Taliban Now In Control Of Afghanistan, Will It Become A Safe Haven For Jihadists Against China?

Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Tianjin, China, on July 28. © Li Ran/AP  

Washington Post: China faces threat in volatile borderlands after Afghanistan falls to the Taliban 

A year into the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, a Chinese security scholar warned her country’s paramilitary officers about the Taliban’s reach close to home. 

More than 400 “separatists” in China’s northwest Xinjiang region had been trained in light and heavy weapons and explosive devices in Taliban training camps, according to a paper by Wang Yaning, a lecturer at the Chinese Armed Police Force Academy, published in the school’s journal in 2002. 

“The Taliban provides arms support for Xinjiang separatist forces,” she wrote. 

These long-standing concerns are now at the forefront for China, as it adapts to the reality of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The militants’ stunning rout of the Western-backed government in Kabul is likely to reignite debate in Beijing over its security policy in Xinjiang, a hot-button issue that has drawn sanctions from the United States and Europe. 

Muslim ethnic minorities make up a large part of the population of Xinjiang, and Chinese authorities have long been suspicious of their loyalties. Some hard-liners in the vast region abutting Central Asia have expressed the wish for an independent homeland, a stance strictly forbidden by Beijing, and the region has experienced sporadic terrorist attacks.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China, Russia, Central Asia. The entire region knows that with the Taliban now in control of Afghanistan, and with a huge arsenal of American weapons at its disposal, there is a very real possibility that they will be facing Islamic insurgent groups in the near future.

China And Russia Prepare To Accept Taliban Rule Of Afghanistan

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban, in Tianjin, China July 28, 2021 

 

Daily Mail: China and Russia prepare to accept Taliban rule of Afghanistan: Beijing officials pose with leaders of militants and Kremlin has 'no plans' to evacuate its embassy due to 'good relations' 

* China, Russia, Pakistan and Turkey all appear set to formally recognise Taliban rule in Afghanistan 

* Most global powers are reluctant to recognise the rule of terror group overthrown by allied forces in 2001 

* Beijing and Islamabad could break rank in order to form closer ties with the likely new government 

* Meanwhile, the Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan has said that there are no plans to evacuate Russian Embassy 

* Iran, which has long been wary of the Sunni Muslim Taliban, has moved to ensure the safety of its diplomats 

China, Russia, Pakistan and Turkey all appear set to formally recognise Taliban rule in neighbouring Afghanistan after the Islamist terror group seized the Presidential Palace in Kabul on Sunday and the country's embattled president fled for Tajikistan. 

Most global powers are reluctant to recognise the rule of the militant group overthrown by US-led coalition forces in 2001, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning that Afghanistan cannot be allowed to become a 'breeding ground for terror' again.  

Read more ....  

Update: Why China and Russia might find common security ground in Afghanistan (SCMP)  

WNU Editor: Russia is not evacuating their embassy .... Russia says no plan to evacuate Kabul embassy (Moscow Times/AFP). Russia will also not recognize the Taliban government anytime soon .... Russia will not hurry to recognize Taliban regime in Afghanistan — special envoy (TASS). 

China will not close its embassy, and in fact has already signalled that they will recognize the Taliban government .... China Preparing to Recognize Taliban if Kabul Falls: Sources (US News and World Report). 

A prediction. 

Aside China, the other governments that will recognize the Taliban as the new government of Afghanistan will be Pakistan, Turkey, and Qatar.

China Will Recognize The Taliban If Kabul Falls

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban, in Tianjin [Li Ran / Xinhua/AFP]

US News and World Report: China Preparing to Recognize The Taliban if Kabul Falls 

The move comes at the expense of the U.S., which has held up the Taliban’s international legitimacy as its remaining source of leverage while the militant group storms across Afghanistan. 

China is prepared to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan if it succeeds in toppling the Western-backed government in Kabul, U.S. News has learned, a prospect that undercuts the Biden administration's remaining source of leverage over the insurgent network as it continues its startling campaign to regain control. 

Beijing has publicly pressured the Taliban to continue working toward a peace agreement with President Ashraf Ghani's government – an outcome China appears to genuinely prefer and one the U.S. has pressed with growing urgency. However, new Chinese military and intelligence assessments of the realities on the ground in Afghanistan have prompted leaders in the Chinese Communist Party to prepare to formalize their relationship with the insurgent network, according to multiple U.S. and foreign intelligence sources familiar with the Chinese assessments. 

Read more .... 

WNU editor: I am willing to bet an understanding was reached two weeks ago when the Taliban leadership were in Beijing for talks .... Afghan Taliban Delegation Visiting China For Talks (July 28, 2021).

China Fears The Deteriorating Security Situation In Afghanistan

A handover ceremony as U.S. troops prepare to leave Afghanistan. Afghan Ministry of Defense Press Office via AP  

Politico: China’s fears increase as U.S. troops leave Afghanistan 

China has long dreaded the regional and domestic security implications of a peremptory U.S. withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan. 

Beijing is now watching that scenario play out as a seemingly unstoppable Taliban offensive against the increasingly beleaguered Afghan National Security Forces penetrated Kabul, the heavily fortified capital, on Wednesday. 

China was dismayed by what it perceived as the “unilateral” nature of President Joe Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal announcement in April, Barnett Rubin, a former adviser to the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told China Watcher. 

Rubin, who has co-chaired a U.S.-China dialogue on Afghanistan since 2012, said the U.S. withdrawal was the articulation of China’s long-standing fear “that the U.S. could get out of Afghanistan too soon,” and create a dangerous regional security vacuum.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The Chinese are not the only ones who are concerned on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan .... Russia-Led Drills Begin on Afghanistan Border (Moscow Times).

Afghan Taliban Delegation Visiting China For Talks

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban, in Tianjin [Li Ran / Xinhua/AFP]  

New York Times: China Offers the Taliban a Warm Welcome While Urging Peace Talks 

China offered a high-profile public stage to the Taliban on Wednesday, declaring that the group rapidly retaking large parts of Afghanistan would play “an important role in the process of peaceful reconciliation and reconstruction” of the country. 

Chinese officials began two days of talks with a delegation of Taliban leaders in Tianjin, a coastal city in northeastern China, significantly raising the group’s international stature after steady military gains that have taken advantage of the withdrawal of American and NATO combat forces. 

China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, called the Taliban “a pivotal military and political force,” but urged their leaders “to hold high the banner of peace talks,” according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: It looks like Beijing is banking on the Taliban running Afghanistan soon .... China brands America's involvement in Afghanistan a 'failure' and hails the Taliban as an 'pivotal military and political force' in first talks after the US-led troop withdrawal (Daily Mail). 

Update: This is music to Beijing .... Taliban tell China Afghanistan will not be base for separatists (Arab News). 

More News On Afghan Taliabn - China Talks  

Taliban’s delegation visiting China -- Khaama Press  

Taliban meet in China, gain government's support -- Washington Post  

Chinese officials and Taliban meet, in sign of warming ties -- Al Jazeera 

China says Taliban expected to play 'important' Afghan peace role -- Reuters

Taliban Say They See China As A "Friend" To Afghanistan

© Provided by South China Morning Post Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen. Photo: Handout  

SCMP: China a ‘welcome friend’ for reconstruction in Afghanistan: Taliban spokesman  

The Taliban sees China as a "friend" to Afghanistan and is hoping to talk to Beijing about investing in reconstruction work "as soon as possible", the group's spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Wednesday. 

In an exclusive interview with This Week in Asia, Suhail said the Taliban now controlled 85 per cent of the country and that it would guarantee the safety of Chinese investors and workers if they were to return. 

"We welcome them. If they have investments of course we ensure their safety. Their safety is very important for us," he said by phone. 

Suhail also said the Taliban would no longer allow China's Uyghur separatist fighters, some of whom had previously sought refuge in Afghanistan, to enter the country. The Taliban would also prevent al-Qaeda or any other terrorist group from operating there.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China is saying that they will not repeat history's mistakes in Afghanistan .... China will not fall into ‘Afghan trap’ as other powers have bitterly learned (Zhang Jiadong, Global Times). 

More News On China's Growing role In Afghanistan  

Afghanistan's Taliban, Now on China's Border, Seek to Reassure Beijing -- WSJ  

China sets targets on Afghanistan as the final US troops depart -- SKY News  

China seeks Pakistani help in stabilising Afghanistan after US pull-out -- SCMP  

China will be the next empire to enter the Afghan 'graveyard' -- Gordon G. Chang, The Hill 

Expert predicts failure as China eyes a move into Afghanistan: 'This is going to be fun to watch' -- FOX News

A China - Afghan Alliance?

China has been waiting in the wings in order to do a deal with Kabul, and now the American's have left, they are free to do so. Pictured, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right  

Daily Mail: China makes its move on Afghanistan: Beijing prepares to fill the vacuum left by Biden's premature military exit from the nation with $62B investment plan for its 'Belt and Road' program 

* American troops have finally departed their main military base in Afghanistan 

* China has been waiting in the wings in order to do a deal with Kabul 

* The country wants to extend its 'Belt and Road' program to Afghanistan 

* Program would see a direct land corridor between Afghanistan and China through northwest Pakistan constructed 

* Deal could give China strategic foothold in the region for trade with the country acting as a central hub connecting the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe 

* But there remains the air of unpredictability with lasting peace uncertain with Taliban likely to make a resurgence in the region 

While American troops were leaving their main military base in Afghanistan on Friday, China was already preparing to enter the war-torn country to fill the vacuum left by U.S. and NATO troops. 

Authorities in Kabul are considering extending a $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

First launched in 2013 by Chinese president Xi Jinping, and written into the Chinese constitution in 2017, it is billed by Beijing officials as a global infrastructure development fund which aims to better connect China to the rest of the world.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: If China wants to be a major player in Afghanistan, they will need to deal with the Taliban .... Gordon Chang to Newsmax: China Will Push to Resume Ties With Taliban (Newsmax). 

But here is my prediction. Chinese Communists and Islamic fanatics never mix. 

More News On China's Growing Involvement In Afghanistan  

China ramping up Afghanistan involvement amid US withdrawal -- NYPost  

China watches Afghanistan anxiously as the US withdraws -- Financial Times  

China Has a BIG Plan for Post-U.S. Afghanistan—and It's Worth Billions -- Daily Beast  

China to Expand Its Presence in Afghanistan Under BRI as US Leaving Country - Report -- Sputnik  

China's putting the moves on Afghanistan -- American Thinker

China May Deploy Troops To Afghanistan After U.S. Troops Leave

China may send peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan under the terms of the UN Charter, according to an international relations specialist at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. Photo: Simon Song  

SCMP: China may send peacekeeping force to Afghanistan after US troops leave, observers say 

 * Beijing is concerned terrorist groups will prosper if there is a lack of stability in the region, experts say

 * US President Joe Biden says all remaining US troops in Afghanistan will pull out by September 11 

Beijing may consider sending a peacekeeping force to Afghanistan if the security situation in the South Asian country poses a threat to the neighbouring Chinese province of Xinjiang after American troops pull out, analysts said. 

US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he would withdraw all remaining US troops – about 2,500 – from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack in New York. 

The withdrawal may pose a threat to Afghanistan’s security and stability, which could spill over into Xinjiang and disrupt China’s counterterrorism efforts. 

In 2018, China trained Afghan troops and helped set up a mountain brigade. 

The training took place in China and the aim of the brigade was to counter possible attacks by al-Qaeda and Islamic State. 

“The security forces of the Afghan government are not capable of ensuring Afghan security,” said Sun Qi, an international relations specialist at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. 

“The situation in Afghanistan might go further into chaos in the future. Cross-border crime, drug trafficking and smuggling of firearms may proliferate,” he said. 

Read more ....  

Update: China Mulls Deploying Troops to Afghanistan After U.S. Pullout (Legal Insurrection)  

WNU Editor: to me it is a given that China will deploy soldiers to Afghanistan if the situation deteriorates. They will be deployed at the Wakhan Corridor. (see map below).