By Reid Standish Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 20, 2025 Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities are hosting a trilateral meeting with China and Pakistan on August 20, as Beijing looks to de-escalate tensions between the two countries by incentivizing cooperation through new trade and investment opportunities amid a flurry of diplomatic outreach. The daylong meeting is expected to
Khaama: Bagram Airfield, once the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan, has reemerged in global debate. Its strategic location near China and Central Asia fuels speculation about potential U.S.–China competition over influence and control. Afghan observers suggest that if the Taliban were to permit foreign use of Bagram, they might prefer U.S. involvement over China’s,
Khaama: The future of the Wakhan Corridor will shape far more than trade routes; it will determine whether Afghanistan becomes a bridge for cooperation or a battleground for rivalry. China’s push to extend CPEC through Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor promises economic gain but ignites tensions, with India, Western powers, and regional rivals alarmed over shifting geopolitical
Afghanistan International: The National Resistance Front (NRF) has claimed that China is operating at Afghanistan’s former US military base in Bagram, accusing the Taliban of facilitating foreign interference in Afghanistan. Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the NRF, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday that there are “credible reports”
Ariana: Former U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace talks, Zalmay Khalilzad, has issued a stark warning about China’s accelerating efforts to dominate Central Asia’s vast mineral wealth. He urged Washington—specifically the Trump administration—to act swiftly before Beijing consolidates its hold over the region’s critical resources. Khalilzad emphasized that countries including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
Hindustan Times: What happens when a country like Afghanistan isolated, unrecognized, and sanctioned suddenly becomes a key player in a new global trade order? You’re watching the emergence of the Axis of Alternatives, a quiet but seismic shift in global power. Afghanistan is now in talks with China and Russia to bypass the U.S.
Al Jazeera: As Pakistan remained embroiled in a war of words with its archrival India – following a dramatic exchange of missiles and drones nearly two weeks ago – it this week advanced diplomatic efforts with two other neighbors: China and Afghanistan, which could lead to the formal resumption of diplomatic ties between Islamabad and
Afghanistan International: China has announced that Pakistan and the Taliban have agreed to elevate their diplomatic relations to the level of ambassadors. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed the development, stating that Beijing supports the strengthening of ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although neither Pakistan nor China has formally recognised the Taliban government, both countries
Khaama: An American expert warns that China is seeking to dominate Afghanistan’s untapped rare earth resources to strengthen regional influence and control. Scott Worden, an American researcher, highlights China’s efforts to cement its dominance over Afghanistan’s rare metals. Worden also criticizes the Trump administration’s closure of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), suggesting this move
Afghanistan International: Citing informed diplomatic sources, the outlet stated that the Taliban supported Islamabad’s position on conducting an impartial investigation into the recent Pahalgam attack and chose to maintain its distance from the Indian bloc. Click here to read more (external link). Related Sirajuddin Haqqani meets with special envoys of China and Pakistan in Kabul