Hesitant in Afghanistan

Chinese food relief: Afghans in Kabul sit on Chinese wheat sacks

After the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, many expected China to fill the vacuum. Large investments in the country, which had fallen back to the Taliban, were predicted. One year later, there is little evidence of this: China has been acting very cautiously and has so far been active only on a limited scale.

The situation in Afghanistan has apparently developed differently than many observers expected a year ago. It was believed that China would step in to fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the US and its allies. Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with a group of Taliban leaders in Tianjin in late July 2021. They asked China to play a „greater role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and economic development.“ When the Taliban took Kabul, the People’s Republic kept its embassy open. Many analysts said China was very interested in Afghanistan’s raw materials – especially oil and copper.

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