China in Afghanistan

Wang said China hopes the Taliban-appointed Afghan interim government will "take solid steps in the right direction.”

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has indeed provided China an opportunity, but there’s little evidence that Beijing has any concrete plan to address the country’s problems. 

Divergences in approaches to Afghanistan map onto wider divergences between the United States and its allies and China, Russia, and their partners.

The trade offers concrete and immediate benefits to both the Chinese government and the Taliban.

Hyping an unsubstantiated “extremism” threat is a key, and classic, tactic in the Chinese government’s propaganda war.

China will face a number of difficulties in implementing the BRI in Afghanistan.

As China and Russia align their positions in Afghanistan, the West looks on suspiciously.

Insights from Michael Kugelman.

The Taliban will welcome the hard infrastructure elements of the BRI. The “soft” components are a different story.

Insights from Sean Roberts.

The pace of the Taliban’s military advancement on the eve of the U.S. pullout not only stokes worries of regional spillover, but also shines a spotlight on China.