China-Afghanistan Relations

China has vastly increased economic engagement with Afghanistan as it eyes a new node in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Pakistan has long been concerned about dams on transboundary rivers in Afghanistan, but China’s involvement creates an opportunity for regional cooperation. 

While still short of formal diplomatic recognition, the move is part of a trend of growing engagement driven by the strategic interests of both sides.

China's new ambassadorial appointment lays the groundwork for intensified cooperation between China and Afghanistan. That will have implications for Pakistan as well.

New Ambassador Zhao Sheng was given the royal treatment in Kabul, as China continues to be the Taliban regime's most important foreign partner.

China’s active engagement in the country's affairs is driven by Afghanistan’s strategic position at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, coupled with its abundant natural resources.

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has indeed provided China an opportunity, but there’s little evidence that Beijing has any concrete plan to address the country’s problems. 

Will Islamic State Khorasan Province push Beijing to abandon Kabul?

The Taliban's new deal is actually a repeat of a previous contract signed by the former Republic government with CNPC in 2011. That deal's fate should temper expectations.

The profits may be high, but the risks involved are higher, especially in the context of attacks on Chinese nationals and interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Far from inheriting an opportunity, China finds itself encumbered with an ever-expanding roster of problems in Afghanistan, which it is showing little interest in trying to resolve or own.

Rail routes are all the rage, as the SCO gathers. Keep an eye out for new agreements on regional transit routes.