Trump: China Controls Afghan Base Near Nuke Site, Slams Biden For Surrender

In his remarks during the 2025 White House National Day of Prayer, former US President Donald Trump alleged that China has asserted control over the Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, which the United States deserted in 2021. Trump made the false allegation to malign President Joe Biden’s administration as having mishandled the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, terming it a terrible strategic defeat.

Trump’s Accusations

Addressing the gathering, Trump highlighted the strategic significance of Bagram, stating, “We were going to retain Bagram, which is an hour from where China produces its nuclear missiles. I said we can’t lose it.” He further claimed, “They lost it, and currently China occupies Bagram. So sad, so crazy.”

He attributed Biden with what he described as the “horror show” of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, citing the fatal August 2021 bombing that killed 13 American troops and wounded 42. Trump asserted such losses would not have happened on his watch and said the withdrawal compromised US credibility around the world, giving its enemies such as Russian President Vladimir Putin an incentive to attack.

Taliban Denies Chinese Presence

Trump raised the same accusations earlier this year, which was responded to by the Taliban. The Taliban, now ruling Afghanistan, issued a denial of any Chinese troop presence at the airbase. “Bagram is under the control of the Islamic Emirate, not China,” read the Taliban’s statement, and that they have no foreign military agreements with any nation.

The Legacy of Bagram Airbase

Bagram Airfield, 60 kilometers north of the capital Kabul in Parwan province, has been a strategic military hub for decades. The Soviet Union originally built it in the 1950s as a key base for the Soviet-Afghan war. The US seized control of Bagram following the 9/11 attacks and developed it into its largest facility in Afghanistan with sprawling infrastructure.

After a 2020 peace agreement between Trump’s government and the Taliban, American forces started a process of phased withdrawal. The Bagram air base was left behind by American forces on July 2, 2021, and the Taliban took complete control by August 15.

Fear of China’s Involvement

Though the Taliban currently holds the base, US officials are worried that China is pursuing influence in Afghanistan. Beijing last year officially received a Taliban-appointed ambassador, one of the few powers to recognize the group diplomatically.