For many Americans the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan was an egregious betrayal. Whether strategic warfare or the result of pure negligence and incompetence, 13 American soldiers lost their lives. Following the withdrawal, the White House reported 100 to 200 Americans were remaining in Afghanistan with intentions to flee. According to the National Resistance Front (NRF), a military alliance of former Northern Alliance members and other anti-Taliban fighters, America has lost 98% of its intel collection capability in Afghanistan, leaving the country a breeding ground for 27 plus terrorist organizations.
Just two days following the U.S. evacuation of troops from Afghanistan, September 2, 2021, a plane carrying 150 Chinese nationals landed in Bagram Airfield, outside of Parwan Province. Two weeks after their arrival, began a steady flow of incoming Chinese nationals to the airfield with an estimated 350 plus stationary. What is their objective plan?
For over a decade, China has been strengthening its diplomatic efforts in creating a stabilized Afghanistan, among a plethora of other struggling countries. Providing the country with over a billion yuan in aid and pledging millions more. China has also provided 500 scholarships for Afghan students to study in China, as well as training to 3,000 Afghan professionals in various fields, including counterterrorism, anti-drug trafficking, agricultural and diplomacy. China has helped promote economic independence within the country through the framework of China's Silk Road Economic Belt strategy.
Since the withdrawal of U.S. troops, China has been intensifying its influence and succor to Afghanistan in full support and pledge to the Taliban. In January of 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the Taliban-appointed Afghan ambassador in a formal ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, accepting and recognizing the ambassador's credentials. Likewise, the CCP has set up shop in Kabul sending their own ambassador who has been equally recognized by the Taliban. Their support doesn't end there. China has been actively assisting in helping build the Taliban's military division. Chinese defense company, Norinco, a weapons manufacturer, sanctioned in 2003 by the Bush administration for selling missile-related goods to Iran, has been holding meetings with the Taliban's defense ministry. Norinco, known for its "arms for minerals" deals, has provided the Taliban with the installation of over 100,000 state of the art surveillance cameras in Kabul alone, through Huawei. Huawei, a Chinese global provider of communication and technology infrastructure, was placed on the U.S. "entity list" and flagged as a national security threat in 2019 by the Trump administration, restricting suppliers from selling U.S. goods and technology.
Through this "arms for minerals" deal, China has signed billion dollar contracts with the Taliban to engage in the mining and extraction of lithium, gold, copper and other rare-earth minerals. Afghanistan has the largest deposit of lithium which is a known prime commodity for the transition to a green energy or a carbon-free world. China has been known to dominate the lithium supply chain by insidious means and their recent alliance with the Taliban follows suit.
There is no denying the flurry of diplomatic activity between China and the Talbian. The CCP's leadership undoubtedly has a domestic interest in protecting order and security as the two countries share a 57 mile long border. However, China's international or geostrategic projections are almost indisputable as the country was prepped and ready to step in just days after the United States abrupt abandonment. Is it possible, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan wasn't proof of the negligence and or incompetency of the current U.S. administration, but rather another example of what could be a strategic move toward a new order where China holds global economic and political dominance? Could this fall in line with the pattern we've seen of the U.S allowing Chinese nationalist to hold government seats and intentionally turn a blind eye to BRICS, Chinese U.S land grab, and the unprecedented amounts of Chinese nationalists crossing our border via the Darien Gap?
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