Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

China has courted the Taliban for years

By Lionel Te-Chen Chiou - posted Tuesday, 31 August 2021


What the CCP has been planning all these years is to get the Taliban to establish a pro-Chinese puppet régime in Afghanistan. Regardless of the legitimacy of the CCP's wish, that is what it wants. It is nothing new that the CCP is greedy. It wants Tibet, the Uyghur region in Xinjiang,  inner Mongolia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the millions square kilometers area in the South China Sea. Why would the CCP spare Afghanistan? In the CCP’s perspective, Afghanistan does not only share a border with Xinjiang but also has a history of being partially ruled by the Tang dynasty of ancient China.

It might seem unbelievable that the CCP is so full of itself trying to tame the Taliban and subsequently Afghanistan. However, the CCP believes that North Korea is to a certain extent tamable and therefore, so is the Taliban.

The CCP and the Taliban leaders have been meeting for many times and closely working together for years if not decades. The latest meeting allegedly took place not even 3 weeks before the Taliban seized Kabul. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a news statement on 28th July 2021, confirmed that China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meeting with the delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Tianjin, China.

Advertisement

What did they talk about during the meeting? Who knows? Haven’t they talked about things regarding what was going to happen in the following 3 weeks? A news statement released from the Embassy of the China in Afghanistan on the 29 th July 2021(the next day of Wang Yi met the Taliban leaders) gives a clue. The statement titled ‘Once again to remind Chinese citizens in Afghanistan to evacuate’. It writes, “Currently, the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (of China) and the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan once again reminded Chinese citizens in Afghanistan to evacuate as soon as possible. If any Chinese citizens insist on staying in Afghanistan, they will face extremely high security risks, and they will bear all the consequences by themselves.” That is the full statement. The Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan does not explain what it mean by “extremely high security risks.”

What is worth noting is the phrase “once again.” The implication is straight forward. Indeed, the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan did release a statement on the 27th May 2021, warning “Chinese citizens not to visit Afghanistan” and urging “Chinese citizens in Afghanistan to evacuate as soon as possible”. The statement mentions that the warning is valid until 31th December 2021.

As early as in May, the CCP knew things in Afghanistan were going to get ugly. In contrast, the US Embassy in Afghanistan did not urge the US citizens to evacuate until 7th August 2021.

When the US and allies shifting the security focus to the Indo-Pacific, the CCP is looking at a larger chess board stretching from Afghanistan to Taiwan. Whatever moves are made in one place between Kabul or Taipei, the CCP’s calculation includes the other.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

4 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Lionel Te-Chen Chiou is a Sydney-based freelance journalist specializing in cultural affairs. His main research interests are the Chinese Communist Party and its narrative control.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Lionel Te-Chen Chiou

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment 4 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy