What does Communist China want from the Islamic extremist Taliban?
Author: Abdul Naser Noorzad, Security and Geopolitics Researcher, specially for Sangar
After the Taliban came to power in 2021, China was one of the first countries to maintain political relations with Kabul and did not close its embassy in Afghanistan. Communist China's unprecedented support for the deviant but outwardly religious Taliban regime can only be given a satisfactory and logical interpretation based on political, economic, and security objectives in the form of power strategies.
Along with political goals, needs, and security issues, Beijing's efforts are aimed at expanding its sphere of influence in Asia. Afghanistan is nearby and one step away, and the economic problems and urgent needs of this unruly giant of Asia for oil and raw materials from the southern regions will make it a shortcut. At the top of Beijing's plans is to gain access to Iranian oil. These objectives, in the form of Beijing's efforts to create a North-South route and easy access to oil and materials needed for the country's economic machine, on the one hand, make the unifying link of the Asian axis more solid and give it greater consistency, and on the other hand, Beijing's plans for economic expansion will provide it with more momentum.
The Chinese opportunist ideology is trying to take advantage of opportunities that can put an end to the restrictions of this country caused by the encirclement of its rivals. The ongoing crisis in the Middle East, OPEC's decision to suspend oil production for a limited period, the continuation of the crisis in Eastern Europe, the US efforts to stockpile oil, and Trump's victory, as well as issues such as the use of a global emergency arising from US control over strategic and economic routes, have forced the developing China to deal with even the most authoritarian and extremist regimes such as the Taliban and protect its interests.
Beijing is trying to deceive its rivals and make the most of the opportunities with the deceptive slogan of turning Afghanistan into an area of economic integration and a transit crossroad in the region and replacing it with geopolitical competition. However, this country does not realize it is not the only powerful player in the Afghan field. Iran, Russia, Arab countries, Turkey, Pakistan, Europe, and the United States with its strategic allies are also sitting at the “Afghan dastarkhan”. Hence, the situation becomes more complicated and takes on other aspects. For example, the US plan to challenge China in Afghanistan will have serious security, political, and economic consequences. After all, even Beijing’s close allies such as Russia, Iran, and its strategic rival India will not tolerate Beijing’s ambitions.
In addition, Beijing’s efforts to obtain raw materials and natural resources from Afghanistan are the envy of various countries. However, China wants to make the most of the current situation for its interests. Atheistic and anti-religious Beijing tolerates the Taliban's authoritarian regime because of its long-term goals. This is also when this country is well aware and has a lot of information that the gathering of terrorist groups in the north, north, and east of Afghanistan by the Taliban has happened only to advance a regional destabilization plan in which these terrorist groups are considered the main executors.
At the same time, the Taliban is a good host for these groups, and they are always trying to extort money both in the region and outside it. For this reason, this strategy has given good results to the Taliban in the last three years and has been successful and useful in strengthening and surviving their repressive and fanatical regime.
Beijing uses the Taliban as a bargaining chip to advance its economic interests (access to lithium mines, oil, and gas in Afghanistan), security interests (ensuring communication with the Taliban to counter and put pressure on the Uighur insurgency), political interests (expanding Chinese ideology and helping to lay the foundation for advancing its hegemony), and reducing the role of India in its neighborhood. Apart from these issues, using Afghanistan's sensitive and important location to transfer oil and raw materials from Iran, transfer Chinese goods to the south, and reach trade ports, which can play an important role in ensuring the economic interests of this country, is what Beijing wants from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
In addition, the security issue of the super project "One Belt, One Road", which is supposed to connect the countries of Central Asia with Europe and Africa and implement Beijing's ambitious plans to break the existing blockade from competitors, eliminates Beijing's serious and possible concerns about resolving security issues in the northern regions of Afghanistan, which include the security of this entire route. This great economic program simultaneously ensures Beijing's great interests and strengthens the country's position to outperform its competitors. Because the current battle is not only a matter of security and economic issues but also ensures the political and ideological interests of the powers involved in the conflict.
Thus, ignoring Afghanistan's internal problems and taking into account political and ideological considerations, China is trying to gain access to Iranian crude oil through Afghanistan while increasing its interest in ensuring security in Afghanistan. This issue forces Beijing to become more involved in Afghanistan. Although Beijing understands that one of the factors that made the Taliban regime stronger, more powerful, and more stable and prolonged its life is China's financial assistance and economic contracts with this regime, that is, Beijing's unacceptable interaction with the Taliban.
On the other hand, China, while acknowledging the existence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, has never criticized the Taliban and called this group its close ally. In this situation, China faces countless opportunities and challenges in Afghanistan, which in the long run may cause serious problems for the security of the region, especially for China itself.
