Silent Game: China's Engagement in Afghanistan

Spotlight, 2021

China paid close attention to the changing political and security conditions of Afghanistan during the military exit of the United States from the war-torn country. Amid the fragile peace negotiation and with the collapse of Ashraf Ghani's regime, the country invited a lot of attention from the region as well as from the entire world. China also showed its concerns over the changed scenario and so vowed its pledge to respect and support the political settlement between the Taliban and other political stakeholders in Kabul. China showed utmost support to the peace process among the Afghan stakeholders and now also desires to work for the reconstruction and stability of Afghanistan long with other regional and global contenders. China does not have any historical baggage in Afghanistan and it has never sided with any of the factions or interfered in the internal political matters therein. Therefore, China can confidently partner with any of the future government(s) of Afghanistan. Moreover, Beijing's decentralised diplomatic approach is always acknowledged by stakeholders in Afghanistan. China's role in Afghanistan would also be compatible with the other neighbours of Afghanistan, especially Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics (CARs).

Global Political Review

China is giving a push to the reconciliation process among the Taliban and the Afghan government. As well as working on trilateral relations of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China. China is looking for CPEC expansion to Afghanistan through Pakistan, for which China seeks to explore the ways of reconciliation in Afghanistan among the Taliban and the Afghan government. US wants his long stay in Afghanistan to check the regional power of China and Russia, while China is taking interest in the Afghan peace process to smooth the way for US complete withdrawal. China along with other regional powers in Afghanistan supporting the Taliban demand of the US comprehensive drawdown timeline. The paper will bring into light Chinas role in Afghan peace and reconciliation, especially with the Taliban. It will also analyze Chinas role in Afghanistans infrastructure and development.

Afghanistan is facing terrorism and serious law and order situation, which is a severe concern to China. Beijing has strategic, economic, and political interests in this neighbouring country. China, the emerging power, and peacefully rising state needs peace and stability in its neighbourhood. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is required for China's rise and fulfilling the "Chinese Dream". The U.S withdrawal has created both opportunities and challenges for China. This study mainly focuses on the question "why China has enlarged its level of involvement in Afghanistan since 2014? what are the opportunities China has and the challenges China has been faced?" Since 2014 China is following four points approach in its foreign policy towards Afghanistan. First, working to bring peace; second, develop its economy; third, strengthen governance and fourth, acquire international support. It has also emerged as the largest foreign investor in Afghanistan. China is struggling on humanitarian base and contributing to the rebuilding of the conflict-ridden state. This study is an attempt to know about China's involvement in Afghanistan since 2014 and highlights the opportunities both the countries have and strive to know about the challenges faced  .

Journal of Contemporary Studies, 2023

China's interest in Afghanistan has grown substantially over the past few decades. This is evident from the fact that Logar Aynak, the copper extraction project of China, is the largest foreign investment in Afghanistan. In this paper, China's growing engagement in Afghanistan is studied, especially China's role in the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is examined at length. The main problems and obstacles China faces in Afghanistan are explored, and challenges and opportunities arise as a result are discussed as well. Considering China's policy of careful engagement in the region, the nature of China's growing involvement in Afghanistan is studied.

Kardan Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (KJSSH), 2023

The resurgence of the Taliban prompted China to reconsider its approach towards Afghanistan, striking a balance between safeguarding its economic interests and pursuing strategic objectives while simultaneously grappling with security concerns. While the rise of the Taliban poses security challenges, China recognizes the potential for economic cooperation, particularly in resource development and infrastructure connectivity. However, China remains cautious because of the risk of non-state actors exploiting Afghanistan as a safe haven. China's approach to Afghanistan involves fostering connections with the Taliban, contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and promoting regional peace and stability. China seeks to cooperate cautiously with the Taliban on economic projects while emphasizing counterterrorism efforts. China also engages with regional partners to promote its stability and development. The key to China's success in Afghanistan lies in its ability to balance security imperatives with economic pursuits and strategic objectives. This delicate balancing act is crucial to ensuring regional stability and fostering development in Afghanistan.

Recent interpretation on China’s attitude toward Afghanistan has discussed that it is either motivated by opportunistic free ride on US-NATO sweats or a fundamental caution driven by security apprehensions in its restless province of Xinjiang. This paper argues that China has three principal objectives embedded with Afghanistan: (1) to safeguard the security of Xinjiang; (2) to shelter the expansion of greater economic contacts, with investment in natural resources; and (3) to battle the impact of the United States, West and of India. The paper also illustrates the current Chinese engagement in Afghanistan and future challenges it might have in presence of U.S., the Western and regional competitors.

Central Asian Affairs, 2014

Although China is Afghanistan's neighbor, strategic partner, and one of its largest foreign investors, it has kept a low profile overall on Afghanistan compared to other states in the region. This article seeks to understand China's Afghanistan policy within the context of the Chinese government's overall approach to foreign affairs. A review of China's Afghanistan policy show a reluctant involvement, with domestic economic and security interests leading and foreign policy following. A final section examines the uncertain policy environment that China faces in devising an Afghanistan policy and some of the scenarios that Chinese scholars envisage for Afghanistan post-2014.

As uncertainty regarding U.S. troop presence looms over Afghanistan's peace and reconciliation process, observers are looking at the role of other important regional players in the negotiations. So far, China's diplomatic influence has been instrumental in getting the Taliban to the negotiating table. This influence, however, is still reliant on Pakistan's leverage over the Taliban and other militant groups. As threats to China's own security from cross-border terrorism increase, it would be worthwhile to understand China's limitations in ensuring stability in Afghanistan, to set expectations right.