An anonymous source has reported that China is making a major move in the Middle East through its Belt and Road Initiative.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is a trillion dollar program that has provided funding for a variety of infrastructure projects around the world. The communist dictatorship is now using that program to invest in Afghanistan’s infrastructure.
According to reporting by One America News, “China seems to be moving in to fill the void left by America’s withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. military left its final base in the region on Friday.”
Some sources are now reporting that the deal between China and Afghanistan would also extend the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative which involves constructing infrastructure that reaches to Afghanistan.
Fascinating piece on #Afghanistan's remote Wakhan Corridor and a new road linking it to China, offering better economic connectivity. Strong presence in and around Wakhan also important for China's security play with regard to Xinjiang. https://t.co/fmfX1uzURP pic.twitter.com/HHsFcpVyCJ
— Kabir Taneja (@KabirTaneja) July 4, 2021
This news comes soon after Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, discussed China playing an important role in shaping the country’s future.
“Afghanistan, Pakistan and China are neighbors; we are connected geographically,” Karzai said. “China plays a very important role, a significant role, in improving the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in making sure that a synchronized relationship is established between the two countries.”
This new development puts China’s plans into perspective, and reveals a terrifying outcome. Reports indicate that China is seeking to connect 60 countries through land and sea using the Belt and Road Initiative, and Afghanistan’s location would be a strategic base to facilitate this plan.
China may have one major problem that could make their plans more difficult: the Taliban. The insurgent group has a strong grip on the country, as they have been retaking territory across Northern Afghanistan despite resistance from locals. As Taliban attacks on U.S. troops have been increasing since the U.S. announced its removal of troops, and it is likely that the group would turn their focus onto any attempt by China to take control within Afghanistan.