China - A friend in need for the Afghans.

Byline: Dr. Muhammad Irfan

After the US lead NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, China emerged not only as one of many mediators in ending the decades of conflict in Afghanistan but started a diplomatic, political, and economic engagement in Afghanistan that paved the way for playing a vital role in crisis management and peacebuilding in war-torn Afghanistan. Beijing always emphasized that the peace process should be Afghan-led and owned with minimal outside interference and agenda-setting. However, China has adopted a facilitator role rather than a mediator role. Chinese approach in Afghanistan can be termed unique as it has friendly relations with all major stakeholders in the conflict and therefore enjoys the status of an honest broker. Since 2015, China has hosted the stakeholders to facilitate the discussion. Chinese approach in Afghanistan mainly stems from three crucial national interests: security, strategy, and economy.

On the security front, China doesn't want Afghanistan to become a haven for terrorism, the strengthening of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), or the emergence of Daesh, which is the more likely case in the present situation wherein the international world has distanced itself from Taliban govt due to their strict policies. Hence, leaving war-torn Afghanistan distant can be dangerous for Chinese homeland security and might become a challenge to its territorial integrity in the future. Strategically, Afghanistan is located within the Belt and Road Initiative, under which China plans to connect countries from India to Iran. The ambitions of China to connect the south Asian countries via railway, energy corridor, and other infrastructure projects would remain incomplete without the inclusion of Afghanistan. On the other side, the inclusion of Afghanistan in the Belt and Road initiative would not only give China access to Central Asia but would also pave the way for economic development and industrialization in Afghanistan.

Economically, China considers Afghanistan a potential destination for future long-term investment, though it may not seemingly be an incentive for China in the present situation. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Afghanistan will become a hub of economic activities if the dream of peace and stability in Afghanistan comes true. Therefore, China's economic interest in Afghanistan directly correlates with security and strategic interests. China has maintained...