China Hasn’t Given Up on the Belt and Road
Foreign AffairsJUL 2023
The Taliban's infamy hasn't stopped China from deepening ties with Kabul to create trouble for India and the US in order to expand its global influence and become the world's only superpower. Beijing has captured the Taliban by attracting the unrecognized government to the Belt and Road debt trap, positioning itself in a privileged place to exploit Afghanistan's mineral wealth.
Despite years of occupation and billions of dollars allocated to their own forces and contractors, the US and its allies have clamorously failed the Afghan people. Now, the Chinese engagement with Afghanistan has brought hope for positive change because Beijing can help develop the country's power generation, agriculture, healthcare, education, and mining sector.