Chinese officials are in successful talks with the Taliban
government in Afghanistan to establish their hold in the region in which
Pakistan is playing the role of a bridge. China wants to expand its development
network in Afghanistan, but without Pakistan it will not achieve this target.
Projects in the areas of Infrastructure development, health, capacity building
and science and technology are under consideration. There is news that new
Afghan Taliban police force will be trained at Pakistani police training
colleges but Hangu and RTW Kohat facilities only seem to be the viable solution
due to language barrier. Taliban sources say they also intend to grant visa-free
entry to citizens of their brotherly country Pakistan and friendly countries
like China, Qatar, Turkey, Iran and Russia. This will enhance cooperation and
will lead to rapid development in Afghanistan with the help of these countries.
Taliban are also considering to abolish nationalities of Afghans seeking
political asylum in the United States, Canada, UK and European countries. Their
stance is that if a person cannot be patriotic with his homeland, he has no
right to enter Afghanistan. Taliban sources say that Afghans who leave
Afghanistan will not be allowed to return to the country even if they do not
work against Afghanistan after receiving training from foreign countries and
consultations in this connection are taking place. The Taliban want to make
progress in Afghanistan through their Chinese friends and have ignored the
Indians. It is also learned that educated people or those with basic engineering
skills will be trained to fly by a friendly neighbouringcountry, however private
flying clubs will be engaged in this activity. Retired PAF employees have been
offered jobs in Afghanistan and Pakistan is ready to facilitate for technology
transfer. Now it is envisioned that if the Taliban pursues policies like
Malaysia, Dubai, Qatar or Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan will move on the path of
development and will be part of China’s OBOR. Having said that we must consider
that after the collapse of the Afghan security forces the regional actors will
engage the Taliban, shifting from proxy support to open political relations with
the group which is in the offing. These interactions will be transactional
exchanges, as states like Iran and Pakistan will secure their borders and
security interests. Countries such as Russia, China, and Afghanistan’s Central
Asian neighbours will advance their economic interests and try to limit refugee
flow. Taliban policies have undergone strategic shift from fighting to
development side but the world must consider the upcoming humanitarian crisis.
Chinese officials mostly use Xinjiang Muslims to negotiate with the Taliban, who
deal with the Taliban in Islamic ways because China knows that the Afghan
Taliban are annoyed with China over the way the deal with the Uyghur Muslims in
Xinjiang. Chinese are trying to convince the Taliban that all reports of
persecution of Uyghur Muslims are false and that they promotes these Muslims
everywhere. If China and Russia continue to cooperate with the Afghan Taliban,
they will be able to establish their footprint in Afghanistan rather in the
region. Taliban spokesmanZabihullahMujahid recently told an Italian newspaper
that the group will rely primarily on financing from China following its
takeover of the country amid fears of an economic collapse and widespread
hunger. Following the chaotic departure of foreign troops from Kabul airport in
recent weeks, Western states have severely restricted their aid payments to
Afghanistan providing an excellent opportunity to China.
“China is our most important partner and represents a fundamental and
extraordinary opportunity for us, because it is ready to invest and rebuild our
country,” the Taliban spokesperson was quoted as saying in the interview.He said
the New Silk Road – an infrastructure initiative with which China wants to
increase its global influence by opening up trade routes – was held in high
regard by the Taliban.There are “rich copper mines in the country which can be
put back into operation and modernized. In present scenario, Afghanistan
desperately needs money, and the Taliban is unlikely to get swift access to the
roughly $10bn in assets here mostly held abroad by the Afghan central bank.
Blocking Afghan funds held abroad can aggravate a looming “humanitarian
catastrophe” in Afghanistan which is indeed a wake-up call for the United States
and other Western countries.