Amidst Modi-Trump bonhomie, China planning to sideline India, US in Afghanistan
China is eyeing ways to sideline the United States (US) and India in terror torn and strategically important Afghanistan in the garb of brokering peace between Islamabad and Kabul.
An editorial titled “China strives to reconcile Kabul, Islamabad” in the Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times says that recently Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited Afghanistan and Pakistan and signed a trilateral joint statement to relieve Afghanistan-Pakistan tension. It has been decided to establish the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ dialogue mechanism.
The editorial also wants the readers to believe that Beijing was forced to mediate on the request of Islamabad and Kabul. “China is not willing to intervene in peripheral countries’ internal affairs, and is especially cautious of any involvement in political conundrums of countries where the US has troops stationed. This time, Afghanistan and Pakistan have brought the request to China, and Beijing, under this situation, has reached out to help mediate,” says the editorial.
It further targets the US for its role in Afghanistan and says that instead of establish peace it has opened pandora’s box. “The military action launched by the US in Afghanistan in 2001 aimed to root out terrorism, but far from achieving this goal, it instead opened up a …read more
