Sadiq Amini, Program Manager, Outreach, Observer Research Foundation America, was Quoted in an article titled: “Why China is still in the sidelines in Afghanistan two years after the US exit” by Shi Jiangtao of the South China Morning Post, published on August 20, 2023:
“The chaos of the US withdrawal and the Taliban’s reinstatement is a “collective failure” of Washington and other powers. This is partially on the US, majorly on Afghans themselves, but more on the regional countries including China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and others who needed to care enough, and be capable enough to plan, allocate resources, and support Afghanistan post-US withdrawal. As a result of their collective failure, the immediate consequences and threats emanating from Afghanistan today, or in the future, are posed against the countries in the region.
The political, security, and economic situation in Afghanistan is “highly fragile”.
Following the Taliban takeover, external powers including the US, China, Pakistan, Iran, Russia and India have only “minimal influence” in Afghanistan, and that too is “tactical, short-term, and transactional in nature. It definitely is not serving Afghanistan.
Diplomatic overtures to the Taliban “will not lead to influence”. Rather, it will lead to resentment against China, which is already showing among the people of Afghanistan, who see China warmly engaging the Taliban with no vision to serve Afghans in the long-term.
Considering the doubts over the Taliban’s willingness or ability to prevent terrorism from spilling over to neighbouring countries, Beijing should reach out to non-Taliban Afghans, the US and regional countries to collectively address the Afghan crisis.”