International Quarterly of Foreign Relations

International Quarterly of Foreign Relations

China's strategy to expand cooperation with Taliban after US withdrawal

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ali Monavari 1
Mohsen Keshvarian azad 2
Mobarakeh sedaghati 3
1 Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2 Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran. (Corresponding Author)
3 M.A graduate in International Relations, Department of International Relations, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/fr.2022.160974
Abstract
Diplomatic and security dynamics in South and Central Asia and neighboring countries increased after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021 and the Taliban's takeover of Kabul. China, as Afghanistan's neighbor in the past and now, has been particularly sensitive to developments in Afghanistan and has sought to influence developments in various ways. In the last two decades, the Taliban has been the focus of Beijing's foreign policy as an influential group in Afghanistan. Given China's action on the Taliban, it is necessary to clarify China's strategy towards the Taliban after the August 2021 regime. In this regard, through analytical-explanatory method, the question has been asked how China seeks to influence the equations of Afghanistan in the Taliban era and expand cooperation with this group? In response, it is assumed that the Taliban's security threats and economic requirements for China have led it to expand its strategic sphere of influence and access to a strategic partner in the South Asian regional security complex through constructive economic and security engagement in the form of cooperation with the Taliban. Findings shows that security and economic components of the Sino-Taliban relationship were highlighted before the US withdrawal and during the current Taliban regime, with Beijing seeking "constructive intervention and becoming an effective player" in the South Asian regional security complex Through cooperation with the Taliban.
Keywords
China
Taliban
strategy
cooperation
security
economy
constructive engagement
بهبودی نژاد، قدرت­الله (1400). منطقه­گرایی و همکاری منطقه­ای در آسیای مرکزی. فصلنامه روابط خارجی، 13 (1)، 76-43.
گوهری مقدم، ابوذر و انصاری بارده، رضا (1400). تقابل آمریکا و چین در ابتکار کمربند و راه و بررسی نقش ایران. فصلنامه روابط خارجی، 13 (2)، 231-209.
وثوقی، سعید، فلاحی، احسان و حیدری، قربانعلی(1393). تبیین جایگاه افغانستان به‌عنوان کانون چند زیرسیستم منطقه­ای با تأکید بر منطقه آسیای جنوبی و نقش هندوستان. فصلنامه آسیای مرکزی و قفقاز، 20 (87)، 177-149.
یاری، احسان و عابدی، مرضیه (1400). گره استراتژیک چین در شبکه منطقه­ای جمهوری اسلامی ایران؛ امکان­سنجی فرصت­ها و چالش­ها. فصلنامه روابط خارجی، 13 (1)، 112-77.
Buzan, Barry,Waever, Ole & De wilde, Jaap. (1998). Security: A new framework for analysis. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Buzan, Barry,Waever, Ole .(2003). Regions and powers: the structure of international security (Vol. 91). Cambridge University Press.
Buzan, Barry. (2008). People, states & fear: an agenda for international security studies in the post-cold war era. Ecpr Press.
Gupta, Yogesh) .2021, july 13(. Regrouping of Tehreek-e-Taliban worries China, Pak, . The tribun, https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/regrouping-of-tehreek-e-taliban-worries-china-pak-282181.
Attanayake, Chulanee & Zheng, Haiqi. (2021). Understanding china in Taliban-led Afghanistan, Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, 1-5.
Jun, Xie & Daye, Chu. (2021). Extention of CPEC into Afghanistan to boost local export, journey of peace : analysts. Global Tims https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1228518.shtml.
Kannan, Saikiran. (2021) . aliban’s growing proximity with China is an opportunity ISKP trying to leverage. Inain today, https://www.indiatoday.in/news-analysis/story/taliban-china-relation-afghanistan-india-pakistan-threat-to-uyghur-muslims-1875479-2021-11-11.
Maçães, Bruno .(2021). Belt and road: A Chinese world order. Oxford University Press.
Senanayake, Dilan & Prasad, Harsha (2020). Understanding the Dragon’s Entry to South Asia: Revisiting the Regional Security Complex Theory. Torun International Studies, 1(13), 73-91.
Mehrdad, Ezzatullah. (202, February 17). Did China Build a Spy Network in Kabul?, The diplomat, https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/did-china-build-a-spy-network-in-kabul/.
Shih, Gerry. (2019, February 18). In Central Asia’s forbidding highlands, a quiet newcomer: Chinese troops. Center for a New American Security, https://www.cnas.org/press/in-the-news/in-central-asias-forbidding-highlands-a-quiet-newcomer-chinese-troops.
Felbab-Brown, Vanda. (2020, June, 12). A BRI(dge) too far: The unfulfilled promise and limitations of China’s involvement in Afghanistan. Brookings, https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-bridge-too-far-the-unfulfilled-promise-and-limitations-of-chinas-involvement-in-afghanistan/.
Kaura, Vainy. (2020, August 7). What does China’s growing engagement in Afghanistan mean for the US?, Institute for Middle East Studies, https://www.mei.edu/publications/what-does-chinas-growing-engagement-afghanistan-mean-us.
The Economic Times. )2020, October 14). Seduced by China's Belt and Road Initiative, Taliban also forsake Uyghurs. https://m.economictimes.com/news/defence/seduced-by-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-taliban-also-forsake-uyghurs/articleshow/78658096.cms.
Elapta, Deshika. (2021, February 26 ) . does the belt and road initiative have a chance in Afghanistan?, EIAS, https://eias.org/op-ed/does-the-belt-and-road-initiative-have-a-chance-in-afghanistan/.
Future directions international, .(2021, April, 10). China in a Post-US Afghanistan, https://www.futuredirections.org.au/publication/china-in-a-post-us-afghanistan/.
Ghosh, Booby. (2021, April 15). Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Is a Blow for China,
Yi, Wang. (2021, June 8 ). Wang Yi Hosts "China+Central Asia" Foreign Ministers' Meeting, www.fmprc.gov.cn, https://www.mfa.gov.cn/ce/cohk//eng/Topics/gjfz/t1875496.htm.
Sakhi, Nilofar. (2021, June 18). How Russia, China, and Iran will shape Afghanistan’s future, Atlantic council, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/how-russia-china-and-iran-will-shape-afghanistans-future/.
Avdaliani, Emil. (2021, June 21). China’s New Security Concept for Afghanistan. The begin-sadat center for studies, https://besacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2076-China-Afghanistan-Security-Concept-Avdaliani-final.pdf.
Zhang, Rachel.(2021, june 27). Could the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation help stabilise Afghanistan after US pull-out?, South China morning post, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3138868/could-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-help-stabilise.
Kaura, Vainy. (2021, July 6). The Pakistan factor in china's Afghanistan policy: emerging regional faultlines amid us withdrawlhttps, Institute for Middle East Studies, https://www.mei.edu/publications/pakistan-factor-chinas-afghanistan-policy-emerging-regional-faultlines-amid-us.
Sun.Yun.(2021, August 10). A reluctant embrace :  china's new relationship with Taliban, www.stimson.org,­ https://www.stimson.org/2021/a-reluctant-embrace-chinas-new-relationship-with-the-taliban/.
Hass, Ryan. (2021, August 18). How will China seek to profit from the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan, Brookings institution, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/08/18/how-will-china-seek-to-profit-from-the-talibans-takeover-in-afghanistan/.
Ian,Johnson. (2021, August 24). How Will China Deal With the Taliban?, Council foreign relations, https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/china-afghanistan-deal-with-taliban.
Mohseni Cheraghlou, Amin & Graham, Niels , (2021, August 24). Could China become the Taliban’s new benefactor?, Atlantic council, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/could-china-become-the-talibans-new-benefactor/.
Grossman, Derek. (2021, August 27). Chinese recognition of the Taliban is all but inevitable. RAND, https://www.rand.org/blog/2021/08/chinese-recognition-of-the-taliban-is-all-but-inevitable.html.
Calabrese, John. (2021, September 21). China’s Taliban Conundrum, Middle East Institute, https://www.mei.edu/publications/chinas-taliban-conundrum.
Reuters . (2021, September 21) . Taliban say no al qaeda or ISIS in Afghanistan. Taliban say no al Qaeda or ISIS in Afghanistan, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-say-no-al-qaeda-or-isis-afghanistan-2021-09-21/.
Fazl-e-Haider, Syed . (2021, October 8) . Opportunities and challenges for chiana's plan in Afghanistan.The Jamestown Foundation, https://jamestown.org/program/opportunities-and-challenges-for-chinas-plans-in-afghanistan/.
Standish,Rabert. (2021, October 14). From a secret base in tajikestan , china's war on terror adjusts to a new realty. https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-china-war-on-terror-afghan/31509370.html.
Bloomberg .(2021, October 26). China Vows to Help Taliban ‘Rebuild’ Afghanistan in Doha Meeting, Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-26/china-vows-to-help-taliban-rebuild-the-country-in-doha-meeting.
Weitz, Richard. (2021, November 1). Will China save the Afghan economy?, Middle East Institute, https://www.mei.edu/publications/will-china-save-afghan-economy.
Webber, Lucas. (2021, Nov 4). perspectives Islamic state using china to vilify Taliban. Eurasianet, https://eurasianet.org/perspectives-islamic-state-using-china-to-vilify-taliban.