Ahead of government formation in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s statement describing China as “the most important partner” has alerted India all the more to how Beijing is planning to expand its influence in the war-torn country. Wary of the Dragon’s long-term Afghan plan, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is taking note of every single move by the Islamist group and Chinese diplomats in Kabul. There is no denying that the Taliban and China have come closer.
A high-level meeting chaired by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday focused solely on the bonhomie between China and Taliban. Even as Pakistan continues to be a major concern vis-à-vis its plan to use Afghan land for anti-India conspiracy, China’s Afghanistan policy also remains the focus of the MEA.
The Taliban’s open announcement about China being their “most important partner” has caused concerns in the South Block, with Indian diplomats and security strategists working on a plan to counter any Chinese bid to spread its tentacles in Afghanistan.
Sources told The Daily Guardian that India has already told the Taliban during the Doha meeting that Afghan soil should not be allowed for anti-Indian activity by terrorist outfits, China and Pakistan. This message to the Taliban was loud and clear. Sources say that China’s plan to expand its multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is on India’s radar. India has been critical of China’s BRI since the beginning and what is believed is that the Dragon wants to make more intensive inroads in Afghanistan by way of this project. According to sources, Jaishankar has asked diplomats to oppose China›s project and draw attention of other countries of the world community to this. “This is nothing but China’s conspiracy to foment trouble for India from the soil of Afghanistan, which the Taliban must now allow, given their assurance to the Indian Ambassador in Doha,” says a diplomat.
What China is trying to impress upon the world community is that the BRI is good as far as development of Afghanistan is concerned. Chinese rulers have said that the Taliban are happy with BRI as well. “This is purely China’s trick to create a smokescreen of development behind which it will expand its presence in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule,” says an official.
Besides India’s concern over CPEC under BRI, what India has also taken a strong note of is that China is also planning to take over the Bagram air force base in Afghanistan. According to officials, Bagram air base is technically well-equipped which was developed by American forces. As China needs a secure airbase for increasing its activities in Afghanistan, it will definitely go for its control. Indian officials have learnt that China’s diplomats have already spoken to the Taliban for this and the extremist group is said to have given its nod.
Even former envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley alerted the Biden Administration, saying “the US needs to closely watch China as it might try to take over the Bagram air force base in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the war-torn country and use Pakistan to get stronger to go against India.” India’s efforts will be to rope in the Biden administration in its diplomatic agenda of keeping China under check in Afghanistan, says an official.