BEIJING: Some US media outlets have labeled the US withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan as an opportunity for China. For example, CNN on Friday posted an article titled “As US pulls out of Afghanistan, China sees opportunities – and potential for chaos.” In a report on April 20, VOA Chinese said that the US withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan can be seen as an opportunity for China. And China can exploit this opportunity to integrate Afghanistan into its economic circle. This article also raised concern over whether China will send troops to Afghanistan after the US withdrawal.
Quite a few political and media elites in the US disapprove of the US pulling out its troops from Afghanistan. By hyping that it will create an opportunity for China, the US’ main strategic rival, they are expressing their dissatisfaction. Given the tone of public opinion toward China in the US now, such a narrative may seek to trigger discontent from more Americans, observers said.
Actually, Afghanistan is in economic turmoil. And its missions in economic recovery and post-war reconstruction are daunting. Against this backdrop, Afghanistan’s economic cooperation with China is limited. Only when the domestic situation stabilizes can Afghanistan achieve a win-win result by coordinating with other countries in the economy and other domains. But the US’ hasty withdrawal will worsen the overall security situation in Afghanistan, affect the national security of neighboring countries including China, and negatively impact regional stability. In this context, what the US’ withdrawal from Afghanistan brings to China is grave challenges, instead of opportunities.
The US has repeatedly stirred up troubles in China’s surroundings on issues such as Afghanistan, Myanmar and the China-India border, in a bid to create instability around China, and then affect China’s development. It is noticeable that when US officials explained why Washington decided to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, the US attempted to link China to this as well. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 18 said that withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan meshes with the Biden administration’s goal of focusing resources on China and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bloomberg.
– The Daily Mail-China Daily News exchange item
