The U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan has created economic and political opportunities for China. This need not have been the case. Biden’s handlers are putting a good face on it and hoping for the best, but there is no reason for any of the parties involved to work in favor of American interests. China is exploiting an opportunity that the U.S. created them by mishandling affairs so spectacularly in Afghanistan.
“Blinken: A Chinese Role in Afghanistan Could Be ‘a Positive Thing,’” by Patrick Goodenough, CNS News, July 30, 2021:
(CNSNews.com) – Deeper Chinese involvement in Afghanistan post the U.S.-troop withdrawal could be “a positive thing,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week, underscoring again his department’s contention that neighboring countries like China, Pakistan, and Iran have shared interests with the U.S. in seeing a stable Afghanistan.
On the same day as China’s foreign minister met with a senior Taliban delegation on Wednesday, an Indian journalist asked Blinken during a visit to New Delhi for a reaction – “because the prevailing notion here seems to be as the U.S. withdraws, China steps into that vacuum.”
“No one, whether it’s the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Central Asian countries – no one has an interest in Afghanistan falling into an enduring civil war,” Blinken replied.
“No one has an interest in a military takeover of the country by the Taliban, the restoration of an Islamic emirate. Everyone has an interest in a peaceful resolution of the conflict and some kind of government that emerges that’s truly representative and inclusive.”
“And so if China is acting on those interests, if other countries are acting on those interests, that’s a positive thing.”…
But after Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the Taliban delegation, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian quoted him as saying, “the Afghan Taliban is an important military and political force in Afghanistan and is expected to play an important role in the country’s peace, reconciliation and reconstruction process.”…
Earlier this month, State Department spokesman Ned Price also voiced confidence about a positive role for China role in Afghanistan, characterizing it as an issue on which U.S. and Chinese interests align.
“We look to China, as we do other regional countries, to play a role that is constructive and that helps bring about that outcome that is in our collective interests,” he told a briefing on July 14.
“China being, of course, an important country in the region has the potential to be a constructive force when it comes to the cause of an Afghanistan that is more secure, that is more stable, that ultimately is peaceful,” Price said. “This has the potential to be one of those areas because it is an area where our interests do align.”…
“Pakistan has a vital role to play in using its influence with the Taliban to do whatever it can to make sure that the Taliban does not seek to take the country by force,” Blinken replied. “And it does have influence, and it does have a role to play, and we hope that it plays it.”
Pakistan’s ISI military intelligence agency has both openly and clandestinely collaborated with the Taliban (and other terrorists in Afghanistan) for decades. Islamabad’s record in this area prompted the Trump administration to withhold, and later redirect, $300 million in military aid in 2018….
Jim says
Russia occupied Afghanistan, and eventually withdrew. The US helped the opposition. It may be that China will burn its fingers there, just as other countries have. We can be sure that Biden and Co. will screw the situation up, as they screw up everything they touch. Perhaps they will give the Taliban money too, as with Iran.
Infidel says
No, bad as Biden has been everywhere else, this is one scenario where he’s been doing things right. For starters, I do laud him for completing the process that Trump started – of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. Trump was hamstrung in his withdrawal plans, be it from Afghanistan or Syria every step of the way. Biden otoh is executing this fully w/o the generals, who’re too caught up in CRT, trying to stop him
The logical follow-ups would be to stop spending even a cent in that country, after 2 decades of spending billions there. But this government loves spending money in the same way that some people love having sex, so it’ll do what it’ll do
mortimer says
If China loses 10 million troops fighting in Afghastlistan, they will simply send another 10 million.
wpm says
China will just round up the local population into camps and kill them ,they have no morals as far as genocide goes. They kills up to 100 to 150 million of their own people during the cultural purge in the 1960s .They have forced aborted millions in the one child policy of their own people ,They could kill the locals and have millions of Chinese bought in to set up factories, mining, armed bases ,build cities .They do not care or give a rats ass what the world thinks , China has been claiming Islands in the South Pacific Islands that belong to Japan, Philippines , Vietnam to build air bases no one gives a rats ass or says boo .They will buy off the MSM in the western world ,they will buy off major corporations. They will buy off the other Moslem countries in the area ,do the other Moslem countries really care about the stone age people in Afghanistan or anyone not in their “tribe” or family group? America,s mission statement was we will give Afghanistan people the tools to run a free Democratic society the people there rejected that because true Islam is about slave master relationship between tribe clan and family. China mission statement will be simpler submit or be killed you and your family.
James Lincoln says
wpm says,
“America’s mission statement was we will give Afghanistan people the tools to run a free Democratic society”
And Pres. George W. Bush tragically believed that muslims in Afghanistan would embrace freedom if given the chance.
An American tragedy – costing both blood and treasure – all for not understanding the very basics of islam…
Ray Jarman says
If one looks at the methods the Chinese have used in Africa where the Chinese have used murder and penal servitude of African workers, there will be some major conflicts. Its Belt and Road initiative in Afghanistan just might lead to all out war and like the Russians and Americans, the consequences will end similarly or maybe the country will be one huge concentration camp where genocide occurs. It will be interesting to watch the Khan government in Islamabad squirm as it supports the Taliban.
Infidel says
One need not even look at Africa: just look next door in Pakistan, where local resentment of the Chicoms exploiting their resources and giving them nothing in return finally exploded in that terror attack on the Chicoms. China has now suspended all their projects in Pakistan until they see a clear ROI in that country, which just won’t be there. In the meantime, Pakistan is nose-deep in debt to China
China will try the same process in Afghanistan, and flush another ton of cash down the drain
gravenimage says
Infidel, I think this had less to do with specific Chinese actions (although I am no fan of the ChiComs) than just the usual desire to slaughter the Kuffar.
Infidel says
You could be right about that
Ray Jarman says
You are correct about Pakistan but I think that the Afghans workers will attack their Chinese overlords if they mistreat them as has happened in Tanzania and Zambia. I was working in Lesotho when the Chinese mistreated some of the local workers and they killed some of the Chinese for good reason.
I just hope that the Chinese do attempt to subjugate the Afghans as they are trying to build their road into Pakistan through Afghanistan and mine their minerals and ores. They will have to put Taiwan on hold for a few years at least until Biden is gone.
Infidel says
Ray
I heard a former Indian bureaucrat Sanjay Dixit speculate that China doesn’t really care about Gwador (the Paki port that’s said to be so important to them) since they already have Bandar Abbas in Iran, and have won the project of building a highway from Bandar Abbas to Zahedan, which is near the Pak-Afghan-Iran confluence point. So if they run a rail from Qashi (Qashqar) to Zahedan via Afghanistan and from there to either Bandar Abbas or Chabahar, they get their Indian Ocean access.
I too hope that China spends the bulk of their attention on this and puts aside their attention on Taiwan and the China Seas. Hopefully, their troops are sucked into both Afghanistan and Pakistan as the stakes grow, and that both countries become their tarbaby
Don McKellar says
I think it’s all really interesting. There are no winners for the involved parties when it comes to investing in a moslem country without oil. China will pay a heavy price, as will the Afghans. Win-win for the world.
Infidel says
Fully agree! We should avoid touching that one w/ a bargepole
Wellington says
Summary: China is wretched, the Taliban are Islamic barbarians (excuse the redundancy) and the Biden State Department is, a la John Kennedy Toole, a “confederacy of dunces.” Meanwhile, the EU sees no reason why it should not continue in full suicide mode, ditto for Canada under the younger Trudeau who is even more of a privileged and destructive fool than was his father. N.B., Appears this rot is happening in two other nations “on the brink,” i.e., Australia and New Zealand, each of which nations I have traditionally admired.
What a giant mess the world is in right now. Doesn’t have to be. Shouldn’t be. No reason to be.
But it is. But it need not be if only democracy, capitalism, the existence and fair enforcement of a decent legal system (N.B., Sharia is in no way a decent legal system) and a proper moral code (e.g., the Judeo-Christian code or the Aristotelian code) are in place. Have these four “requirements” grounded in a society and no society can go wrong. Sadly, most societies, most nations, don’t come anywhere close to having these four “essentials” in place.
A few bright moments here and there in man’s history like ancient Athens per Solon, Cleisthenes and Pericles. Ditto for English constitutional “endeavors” from Cromwell through Locke to the Pitts and then to figures like Peel, Gladstone and Disraeli. Also, most definitely, the Founding Fathers of America. But the historical record is scarce with liberty being accompanied by such other fine matters as common sense, real courage and self-responsibility and self-restraint.
Damn shame. So useless. So unnecessary. But oh so typical of the human condition through the ages. Time for a beer or maybe two.
Rarely says
I’m with you — if only the World would act the way I think it should (i.e. the way I want it to) then all would be well. Why don’t they all ask me?
gravenimage says
Too true, Wellington.
Ray Jarman says
+1 It certainly is not time for champagne.
Infidel says
Australia seems to be fine: they are confronting China head on, and have taken the lead on questioning their role in creating and spreading the Chinavirus, something that the US has so far punted on. Yeah, they do have woke forces active in Melbourne and Brisbane, from what I’ve read here from our contributors from Oz, but they still follow pretty sensible policies wrt both China and islam
NZ otoh is a lost cause, but thankfully, they’re at the other corner of the earth, and totally irrelevant to what happens in the rest of the world
Rarely says
I would not be surprised to see China make serious advances in Afghanistan — advances that eluded both the Russians and the Americans.
spiro says
Chinese military is big enough and brutal enough to turn this country into one big concentration camp
Maybe they use our dollars we send them by buying Chinese made stuff to just buy the country
Rarely says
The Chinese tend not to play with their hands tied behind their backs.
gravenimage says
spiro, I don’t see how that would much benefit China. Many have the idea that China is poised to take on Islam all over the world, but I have seen no indication of this at all.
Infidel says
Well, China and Pakistan are officially as close as could be, but on the ground, Pakis are resenting the way the Chicoms have exploited their natural resources in the CPEC projects while not employing local Pakis at all. If China keeps doing this in other muslim countries, it could all explode in their face
gravenimage says
Infidel, just having Kuffar in their nation is a “grievance” as pious Muslims see it.
spiro says
It’s not Islam
If there is any value like natural resources the locals are going to work for China
I don’t see China taking on Islam at all unless there’s something of value in an Islamic country
Infidel says
Yeah, they’re the only ones w/ the balls to do what Genghiz Khan did in the 13th century. Only problem: it’s hard to see how they’ll successfully capture Afghanistan’s rare earths
Rarely says
Mongolians, not Chinese.
Infidel says
I know: I was referring to tactics. What Genghiz Khan did couldn’t be done by any modern military, not even the Russians. Except one – the Chicoms
gravenimage says
Biden State Department spokesman: ‘We look to China to play a role that is constructive’ in Afghanistan
“No one has an interest in a military takeover of the country by the Taliban, the restoration of an Islamic emirate. Everyone has an interest in a peaceful resolution of the conflict and some kind of government that emerges that’s truly representative and inclusive.”
……………….
Uh huh.
“China Offers the Taliban a Warm Welcome”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/world/asia/china-taliban-afghanistan.html
ElderlyZionist says
“Pakistan has a vital role to play in using its influence with the Taliban to do whatever it can to make sure that the Taliban does not seek to take the country by force…”
Pure comedy gold. Reminds me of the sinking of Hy-Brazil from the movie Erik The Viking:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ599TQUiug
tim gallagher says
China is run by a disgusting, totalitarian regime and that regime has only one aim and that is for China to completely dominate the world. The idea of China playing a constructive role on any issue anywhere in the world is ludicrous. It would be good if the loathsome Chinese regime did get damaged and somewhat weakened in Afghanistan, that absolute shit of a country, where it looks as though the knuckle draggers, the Taliban, are about to take control again. For the civilised people of the world, China’s regime and the word constructive do not belong together. Anything that goes well for the Chinese regime is a very bad thing for people who value freedom and a civilised way of life.
gravenimage says
Spot on, Tim.
Infidel says
That’s what I’m hoping for, Tim – that both Afghanistan and Pakistan become China’s tarbaby. Not just them, but other muslim countries as well. Heck, why don’t they sign up Hamas for some of their belt/road projects in both Gaza and West Bank? ?
Wellington says
Well stated, tim. Just as Islam sucks, so does China.
Kepha says
我的家人部分是中國人,我從心底同意中國共產黨不是文明的朋友。
My family is partly Chinese, and I heartily agree that the CPC is no friend of civilization.
gravenimage says
真的
True.
tim gallagher says
Thanks for the replies. China is going to be the biggest problem the entire world will face for quite a long time. Here in Australia, a lot of people are beginning to see clearly what a headache China will represent. I’d love to see the Chinese regime, which treats most of its own people and everybody else like crap, get bogged down in that primitive cesspit, Afghanistan. It probably won’t happen. The Chinese regime will take over Taiwan next, that is its next clear target, now they have pretty much crushed Hong Kong’s freedom. As for Afghanistan, I believe that the ideal which Muslims aim for is to drag everyone back into living a crappy 7th century Arab lifestyle, but these Taliban subhumans are more like stone age knuckle dragging monsters. They are scum of the earth, straight out of hell.
Infidel says
I have no issues w/ this story. The idea that any Afghan entity would have a long term loyalty to the US, similar to, say, Israel, is ridiculous!
China has been working Pakistan for a couple of years now, and people in Balochistan and Sind are resenting their presence. Same thing will happen in Afghanistan
owensgate says
The unimaginatively ignorant Biden Administration giving China what amounts to unilateral control of Afghanistan’s rich lode of Rare Earth Elements (cerium, neodymium, lanthanum, praseodymium, yttrium and dysprosium and the like), which are absolutely necessary for emerging future technologies, superconducting, maglev, “AI” computing, and more, is unacceptable. But hey, what the expletive, Chinese students are so far ahead of us now we’ll never catch up. They study advanced Physics, while we study Gender identities and Critical Race Theory. Kiss the USA goodbye, it is over.
Infidel says
There is no way we were ever gonna get hold of Afghanistan’s rare earths. We started the process of exploring mining of rare earths in the US, and we could probably have worked out deals w/ Argentina and Chile, which currently have deals w/ China. But hey, the Biden shut down a lot of stuff – the Keystone pipeline, fracking projects, ANWR and mining for rare earths b’cos…. climate change
Yeah, we really need to end admitting Chinese students into the US to study things like AI, Machine learning, Advanced Neural Networks and so on, and encourage our own kids to study that. And have more competitors to the Googles and Amazons of the world so that it’s not just woke companies in this arena, but also patriotic ones that would increase our competitive edge
Wellington says
Yes, a good first start would be all Chinese students expelled from the US minus those who clearly and unambiguously seek asylum from the Hell which is the CCP.
James Lincoln says
owensgate,
Chicoms are “not too worried” about human rights, etc., and Afghanistan sits on $1 trillion worth of minerals.
They could then treat the Taliban the same way that they are currently treating the Uighurs…
Walter Sieruk says
American’s withdrawal from different types of activities in Afghanistan does leave open a political and military vacuum ,in which Communist China is very glad to full.
There’s is now a new form of the Red/Green alliance in the Taliban, which has no regard of respect for human life has made a political friendship with a tyranny that also has no regard of respect for human life.
It’s Communist China that the Taliban are now comrades with. As a Taliban official declared the “Taliban considers China a friend.” [1] Other thing that the Muslim heads of the Taliban and the dictators of Red China have in common is that they both have nothing but spiteful contempt for the United States of America.
This Taliban camaraderie with Communist China does reflect the ancient Middle Eastern and Asian idea of “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” That’s a rather shallow philosophy to have but that’s how they are.
[1] The Epoch Times, July 14, 2021
Walter Sieruk says
America’s military and political withdrawal from Afghanistan opened a vacuum for which the leaders of Communist China have have a great eagerness and zeal to full by direct or insidious ways.
Red China will have a great deal of influence in that country a ,of course, the expense of the United States of America..
Communist China and the Taliban have a new comradeship , This Red/Green alliance, will only be future truble for the the USA. This is obviously terrible
Infidel says
No, it won’t be. Chicom presence in Afghanistan will only affect the Afghans, and only touch China. We have no presence there – all the surrounding countries are either our enemies (Pakistan and Iran) or vassals of our adversaries (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan). This part of the Red/Green alliance doesn’t affect us: what affects us is the Red/Green alliance here at home, personified by muslim marxists such as Ilhan, Rashida and Linda.
We need to start embargoing China – something that won’t happen under Biden. Hopefully, once Trump returns, he stops talking about making great deals w/ them and sanctions them fully. Sever diplomatic relations w/ China, openly recognize Taiwan and Tibet, and relocate all the troops that we have worldwide in bizarre locations like Mozambique or Niger or Germany to the Indo-Pacific region. The only face saving act that China can do in that situation would be to focus completely on Pakistan and Afghanistan, and get sucked completely into that tarbaby
Rick Cox says
I cannot think of two nations who deserve each other more than China and Afghanistan. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for China to become the “Great Satan” of Islam.
PMK says
“Everyone has an interest in a peaceful resolution of the conflict and some kind of government that emerges that’s truly representative and inclusive.”
A worthy goal, but can it happen, ever? There’s a reason Afghanistan is called ‘the graveyard of empires”. We all think Afghanistan is one country whose people should be able to come together for their own benefit and future prosperity, but apparently it’s not.
The great powers of the last few centuries have tried to bring it under central rule, but it doesn’t work that way. They may have initial success but always come up against unavoidable obstacles. Why should we think China won’t come up against the same obstacles that others have?
From thediplomat.com:
‘The closest most historical empires have come to controlling Afghanistan was by adopting a light-handed approach, as the Mughals did. They managed to loosely control the area by paying off various tribes, or granting them autonomy. Attempts at anything resembling centralized control, even by native Afghan governments, have largely failed.’
The author of the 2017 article suggested the Taliban was within a decade of taking power.
The author’s conclusion was:
Minus a permanent occupation–which would be ineffective at best, and bloody and cost-prohibitive at worst–the only way to deal with Afghanistan is to deal with its plethora of local powers.
Maybe we shouldn’t worry about China’s foray into Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a unique nation in many respects. The terrain, its location on the map (bordered by Iran, India and central Asia), and its history of invasion and conquest from all sides might means it can never become a truly cohesive country. It may forever be a nation in name only, with tribal groups and subgroups occasionally willing to fight one another, but always ready to join together against outsiders. We may find that not even the Taliban can control all of Afghanistan for long. Our mistake was thinking all Afghans wanted the same things we did. Maybe some of them did, but not enough to create a single society that is truly ‘inclusive’.