"Why Afghanistan Courts China"

President Ghani recently visited China - probably in a belief ". . . that Beijing could offset the decline in American and Western support". In the short-term Afghan government is fiscally handicapped and unable to defeat the Pakistan-backed Taliban insurgency; so it desperately needs foreign assistance. However, in the long term, Afghanistan, with its vast natural resource base and central position between Central and South Asia can be an economic asset to China. The relationship between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan is a complex one - and China may soon be adjusting this relationship. Read more in "Why Afghanistan Courts China", by Zalmay Khalizad, The New York Times, November 3, 2014. Khalizad was the United States ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations.

Interview with Ambassador Volker

Kurt Volker, the former US Ambassador to NATO, is interviewed about the current and future situation in Afghanistan. He chats on China's increased involvement with Afghanistan (says it is a good thing) and about China's insurgent problem in Xiajiang province (and how a stable Afghanistan helps China defeat the ETIM). He concludes the 3 minute long interview with his list of 'uncertainties' that face Afghanistan in the future (Pakistan continued support of Taliban, a resurgent Taliban in the south, the loss of Kandahar province). Listen to the interview at "Kurt Volker, Former US Ambassador to NATO, on China, Afghanistan relations", CCTV America, October 31, 2014.

U.S. Praises China's Role in Afghanistan

The United States is saying nice things about China's increasing role in Afghanistan. Apparently the security interests of both nations (China and the U.S.) converge when talking about Afghanistan. The U.S. is pulling out and China is ready to reap the benefits of Afghanistan's rich mineral resources. Read more in "United States praises China's growing role in Afghanistan", Reuters, October 30, 2014.

China and Iran: Cooperation on Afghanistan?

China and Iran both border Afghanistan; although China's border is a very short one located in a remote and mountainous region. Both countries wish to see a stable and secure Afghanistan. China sees great economic potential in Afghanistan's rich mineral resources and a stable Afghanistan allows China to invest and reap economic benefits. Iran would like to see the Taliban go away. However each country differs on their view of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. China would like to see us continue our hard work investing lives, time, energy and money in Afghanistan. Iran would like to see the United States influence subside so its influence can grow within Afghanistan. It is quite possible that the future will see greater cooperation between Iran and China on Afghanistan. Read more in "Could Iran and China Cut the US Out of Afghanistan?", The Diplomat, November 1, 2014.

Commentary - Eyes Wide Shut

The nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China are holding yearly meetings addressing some of the security, economic, and development issues that affect the relationships between the three nations. The short conferences (a couple of days) are held to discuss the current security and political situation in Afghanistan and its implications for neighboring countries. Members of the countries respective governments, strategic analysts, academicians, and diplomats attend the conference. The latest conference was held in Pakistan. Read a commentary on the issues addressed and the recommendations put forward by conference participants in "China, Afghanistan and Pakistan Dialogue: Eyes Wide Shut? - Analysis", Euroasia Review, November 1, 2014.

China Replaces NATO?

Now that Operation Enduring Freedom is approaching the end of mission (December 2014), the insurgents have been defeated, the terrorist safe havens have been cleared, and al Qaeda has been eliminated we wonder who will reap the benefits of this hard 13-year long hard-fought victory. While we were slogging it out on the battlefield, suffering numerous deaths and wounded, and spending our money - someone was on the sidelines waiting to pick up the pieces and reap the benefits. Can you spell C - H - I - N -A? Watch for it. China has been slowly picking up its diplomatic activity with Afghanistan. It has cautiously invested in economic activities such as Afghanistan's extensive mineral wealth (see Mes Aynak copper mine). It has engaged other South Asian nations (India and Pakistan) to encourage regional stability. China has become very westward looking in its diplomacy and economic engagement (not Europe, but Central Asia) especially with the re-invention of the Silk Road. Of course, there are some security concerns as well. China, due to its subjugation of the Muslims in its western province of Xinjiang, wants to ensure that an unstable Afghanistan does not become a sanctuary for jihadists. Apparently it sees the problems that insurgents who have sanctuary in Pakistan can cause security forces in Afghanistan (something that ISAF could never seem to fix). Learn more in "Afghanistan: Out with NATO, in with China?", The Christian Science Monitor, October 28, 2014.

Kerry, China, and Afghanistan

Secretary of State John Kerry took the opportunity to provide his insight on the relationship between the United States and China and outlining different aspects of that relationship in a speech before the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. (See Remarks on U.S.-China Relations, U.S. Department of State, November 4, 2014). While the speech was quite long and covered many subjects he did touch a little bit on China and Afghanistan. His comments on that topic are below:

"It can also make a difference in countering violent extremist groups like ISIL, which seek to harm people in every corner of the globe. And it can help in bringing stability to places like Afghanistan, where today we are partnering to support political cohesiveness and prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for terrorists. We welcome China’s role as a critical player in the Afghan region. And just last week, in fact, President Ghani, our Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman, and President Obama’s counselor John Podesta all traveled to Beijing to participate in a conference focused on supporting Afghan peace and reconstruction."

Paper - "China's Foreign Policy in Afghanistan"

The Lowy Institute for International Policy has released a paper by Dirk van der Kley that examines China's policy options in Afghanistan once the NATO-led mission comes to an end in December 2014. There were three key findings in the paper to include 1) China will not make a meaningful security commitment to Afghanistan, 2) China views economic engagement as key to stability, and 3) China will strengthen its contact with a range of political groups to include the Taliban. The paper concludes by saying China has an interest in Afghanistan's long-term stability, that China is worried about the spreading of instability to Xinjiang province, and that China is stepping up its engagement with Afghanistan. Read "China's Foreign Policy in Afghanistan", Lowy Institute for International Policy, October 24, 2014.

China - Afghan Partnership

Afghanistan and China have pledged a long-term relationship during President Ghani's trip to China. Read more in "Afghanistan, China Pledge Long-Term Partnership", Radio Free Europe.

Ghani Heads to China

The new president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, will travel to China for a three-day visit. On the agenda will be China's commitment to the mining sector of Afghanistan. In particular there is sure to be a discussion on China's role in the Mes Aynak copper mine in Logar province. Read more in "New Afghan President to Head to China", ABC News, October 27, 2014.

Al Qaeda, China, and Afghanistan

Al Qaeda is a wide-ranging entity with the aim to establish the Islamic Caliphate. It operates in South Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and in many other areas. It has recently singled out the area of "East Turkestan". This region is Xinjiang province located in the western hinterlands of China. Xinjiang province shares a border with Afghanistan and China is fearing that an "East Turkestan" resistance group affiliated with al Qaeda will operate out of sanctuaries located in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read more in "Al Qaeda Has Set its Sights on Xinjiang - and China Isn't Happy About It", Lawfare Blog, October 23, 2014.

China's Afghan Policy

Red circle depicts the border area
between China and Afghanistan.

China has, over the past 13 years, taken a back seat in the Afghanistan war. However, that has changed in the past year, with an increase in Chinese diplomatic and economic activity within Afghanistan. Certainly there are a number of reasons for this. One driver for increased involvement with Afghanistan is the vast but untapped oil and mineral resources within the country. China already has made inroads both with the oil fields and a large copper mine. In addition to economic interests there are some security concerns. China's domination of the Turkic people of its western province of Xinjiang has resulted in a low-grade insurgency. The Uyghur resistance group has allied itself with terrorist groups from within Pakistan. There is concern that the Uyghur resistance group will spread and use Afghanistan as a safe haven as well if Afghan security deteriorates. Although the border between China and Afghanistan is not very long, it is not patrolled effectively by the Afghan Border Police (ABP). From a security standpoint, this porous border is a deep concern for China. Read more in "China's Afghanistan policy: Testing the limits of diplomacy", The Lowly Interpreter, October 24, 2014.

President Ghani to Visit China

The newly-elected President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, will soon visit China. His first official trip out of the country will last three days. While in China he will sign agreements and have discussions on aid and Afghanistan's economy. Read more in "Afghan President to Visit China", Radio Free Europe, October 21, 2014.

Role of Neighbors in Rebuilding Afghanistan

A recent posting by Ajay Anil Cherian posted on International Policy Digest (October 12, 2014) entitled "Rebuilding Afghanistan: The Role of Its Neighbors" provides concrete reasons why the three countries of India, China, and Pakistan should provide substantial assistance to developing and reconstructing Afghanistan.

China and India: Cooperation on Afghanistan?

With NATO and the United States downsizing to less than 15,000 troops in 2014 and then even fewer still in 2015 the influence of the Western international community in Afghanistan and Central Asia is diminishing. Regional players will be taking a larger part in the diplomatic, economic, and security aspects of Afghanistan. Two of these two countries that may have a positive effect on Afghanistan are China and India. Both are assisting in the development of  raw resources of Afghanistan (China with copper and India with iron ore). In addition, both countries are providing funding and assistance in a number of other broad economic areas. Read more in "Can China and India Cooperate in Afghanistan?", The Diplomat, October 1, 2014.

China's President Snubs Afghanistan

China's president recently snubbed Afghanistan during a region wide tour of central and south Asian countries. China is one of the "bystanders" of the region that committed little to help Afghanistan but very likely will be the country that reaps the most benefit. It seems the president couldn't find the time to visit Afghanistan and some observers took note. Read more in "China's President Should Have Visited Afghanistan", The Diplomat, September 18, 2014.

China and Afghanistan: Concerns on Xinjiang

Wakhan Corridor Border Area

China is concerned about it's western provinces; especially Xinjiang. China shares a small border area with Afghanistan. The northeastern end of the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan connects the two countries. China is worried that supporters of the dissident and resistance groups in Xinjiang province could receive external support from the remote areas of Afghanistan. The border area is hard to control and it would be easy for supplies and personnel to slip across the border into China. For that reason China is very interested in a stable and secure Afghanistan. Read more on this topic in "China in Afghanistan: All About Xinjiang Now?", The Diplomat, February 26, 2014.

China Paying More Attention to Afghanistan

China is concerned about the future of Afghanistan and is hoping for a stabilized situation after the international forces depart in December 2014. China is well-positioned to benefit from economic trade and the access to Afghanistan's natural resources. Read more in "China Increases Focus on Afghanistan", Voice of America, February 24, 2014.

China and Pakistan (and Afghanistan)

China is waiting on the sidelines to see how the Afghan situation develops in the post-2014 era. It has a great interest in the abundant natural resources of Afghanistan - of note is its arrangement with the Afghan government for the development of the copper mine in Logar province. While the United States is realigning its diplomatic and military efforts with a "Pacific pivot", China is looking to its west - to Central and South Asia in an attempt to reinvigorate a "new silk road". However, as much as China would like to further develop its political and economic ties with Afghanistan it must also reconcile these efforts with its relationship with Pakistan. The Pakistan -China - India dynamic is a delicate balancing act and will affect the degree that China involves itself politically and economically in a post-2014 Afghanistan. To learn more about the relationship between China and Pakistan see "China's all-weather friend in Pakistan", Registan.net, February 10, 2014. Learn more about China and its relationship with Afghanistan.

Chinese Security and Afghan Stability

China has some security concerns about it western region of Xinjiang. Muslim extremists have been very active in this area and in some instances are supported by extremist, terrorist, and insurgent groups operating in the remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Xinjiang has a large Muslim minority. China shares a small border area with Afghanistan along the western Chinese border. The area is very remote and mountainous. The Chinese would like to see a stable Afghanistan that does not harbor terrorist groups; but at the same time, it must be cognizant of its relationship with Pakistan (a country that supports some of the insurgent groups attacking Afghanistan). Read more on this complicated topic in "Top official says Chinese security depends on Afghan stability", Chicago Tribune News, February 22, 2014. Learn more about the China relationship with Afghanistan.