The incident of September 11, 2001 was a turning point in the foreign policy of the United States of America, which led to the country’s military attack on Afghanistan. The United States of America entered Afghanistan in order to track down and eliminate the perpetrators of that incident, but behind the scenes, it was not clear what goals the United States of America was pursuing with its military presence in Afghanistan; But whatever it was, the presence of the United States of America and its allies in Afghanistan was considered a threat to regional actors and Afghanistan’s neighbors, and had a deep and complex effect on China’s political, security and social situation.
China has been one of the regional actors and opposed to the presence of the United States of America in the region and Afghanistan. Although these two countries have major economic interactions at the global level; however, he has not been satisfied with the presence and expansion of the influence of the United States of America in the region. During the presence of the United States of America in Afghanistan, China’s relations with Afghanistan were limited and it had a security view towards Afghanistan. China is located in the eastern neighborhood of Afghanistan and is most afraid of Xinjiang state’s neighborhood with Afghanistan. In the past two decades, with the presence of US and NATO military forces in Afghanistan, China tried to be an active actor in Afghanistan’s interactions.
Therefore, investing in Afghanistan’s mines was one of those activities; but it wasn’t long before the United States of America noticed the expansion of this Chinese approach and created obstacles in the progress of mining contracts. But with the withdrawal of the United States of America military forces from Afghanistan in 2021, the space for China’s presence in Afghanistan’s relations has been opened. Considering China’s competitive approach with the United States of America, China will settle and invest in any region that the United States withdraws from. Ian Taylor, a professor at St. Andrew’s University, believes that wherever the United States leaves, the Chinese will try to step in the shoes of the Americans. He says: The Chinese are expanding their diplomatic relations with Arab and African countries and other oil-rich countries; they have made dozens of efforts to sow seeds in these areas, and now they are reaping the harvest. For this reason, investing in infrastructure, roads, communications, electricity and railways is one of China’s priorities. In this way, they can get access to virgin resources and cheap raw materials for their factories. China currently has good relations with the “de facto” government. China’s interest in Afghanistan can be seen in the following sectors: geopolitical, security and economic.
The geopolitical importance of Afghanistan for China:
Afghanistan is located in a sensitive geographical position and is close to major regional powers such as India, China and Iran; it is of special importance to these actors, especially China, which can be expressed in several cases:
- Transit routes: Afghanistan, as a connecting point between the central countries and China, can help the development of economic cycles. Projects like one belt and one road, which China is interested in, are not possible without the cooperation of regional countries and Afghanistan.
- Regional stability: China is worried about the spread of instability and insecurity in Afghanistan. Stability and security in Afghanistan can contribute to security and stability in China’s borders.
- Interaction with other powers: In order to be able to interact with the United States of America and India, China needs an intelligent strategy to secure its interests and at the same time manage regional and global competition.
- Expansion of influence: Having close relations with Afghanistan will help China to increase the power of that Central Asian country and the region so that it can stand against the influence of India and the United States of America in the region.
The security and political importance of Afghanistan for China:
- Border security: Afghanistan’s border with Xinjiang region of China can be a threat to China’s security. China interacts with the rulers of Afghanistan to control the separatists of that region.
- Political balance in the region: China is trying to create a balance of power in the region, which has had some success in this direction. The purpose of China’s significant presence in Afghanistan is to create barriers against the influence of the United States of America and Western countries.
- Cooperation in the fight against terrorism: The fight against terrorism and cooperation with the “Defatco Afghanistan” government is one of the important approaches of China’s security policy towards Afghanistan. China is trying to ensure regional stability and security by expanding cooperation with Afghanistan.
Economic importance of Afghanistan for China:
- Natural resources: Afghanistan has attracted the attention of the great powers of the world, including China, due to its abundance of untouched natural resources. China wants to access Afghanistan’s natural resources to meet its industrial needs. Therefore, China is trying to invest in large projects and develop trade with Central Asian countries by investing in Afghanistan.
- Afghanistan is a good consumer market for China: Due to the growth of the population in Afghanistan, having a renter economic system, the need for manufactured goods has increased. Therefore, Afghanistan has become a suitable consumer market for China. At present, after Iran, most of Afghanistan’s imports come from China.
Finally, due to its position, Afghanistan has attracted the attention of major global regional powers. China is also one of the countries that has expanded its relations with Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the United States of America from Afghanistan. Afghanistan is important for China in terms of security, politics and economy. In the security and political aspect, it can refer to stability in the region and China’s borders, which can be a threat to China’s security. From an economic point of view, Afghanistan is very important to China for its mineral resources and non-productive economy.
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of South Asia Strategic Research Center (GASAM)
