China’s significant role in Afghan peace

People of Afghanistan understand the role China played in facilitating peace dialogue between the US and the Taliban; and who stands for peace and prosperity of their nation and who opposes it. They are also aware that Chinese strength and development model through engagement and connectivity will work best for Afghans. Recent events in Afghanistan however indicate that the spoilers of peace are still active and influential. Initial zeal and expectations of the Afghans from the US-Taliban peace deal has fizzled a bit after the delay in prisoner exchange and expected intra afghan talks. Political crisis in Afghanistan has weakened the Afghan government and marred its reputation. Common Afghan views developments with despair as political opponents carelessly play with the peace deal related steps only to undermine life and security of the people.
Proxies are still in action with NDS playing the politics through Afghan Daesh (ISKP) related violence.Islamic State KhurasanProvince (ISKP) mysteriously opted to surrender to Afghan intelligence after having been comprehensively defeated by the Taliban initially in Nangarhar and finally in the Kunar Province. Ironically, ISKP has accepted responsibility for multiple attacks in Kabul including Gurdwara Attack targeting Sikh community. Spoilers of peace are throwing spanner in the works, but they are bound to fail ultimately. As the most powerful regional state and Afghanistan’s neighbour, China, along with other regional stakeholders and neighbouring countries would extend its constructive role in the Afghan peace process from political, economic, and later security aspects, once the foreign troops withdraw from the country.
It is stipulated in Part One of the US-Taliban peace agreement, which reads: “The United States is committed to withdraw all military forces of the United States, its allies, and Coalition partners, including all non-diplomatic civilian personnel, private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and support services personnel within fourteen (14) months”. In international equations, China, on one hand, is recognized as a power at the global level as well as regional level, and on the other it also enjoys firm relations with Iran and Pakistan, both of which are engaged in Afghanistan’s issues. China has not interfered in any countries and sought to consolidate its relations with other states through extending economic exchanges. Such an approach carries much significance for Afghanistan. Peace and stability in the country is in the interest of both Afghanistan and China.
Already in 2015, China tried to facilitate peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Beijing also hosted trilateral dialogue including China, Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2017 as all sides called on the Taliban to join the peace process. Moreover, China-Afghanistan Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue was held in Kabul in 2018 and the Chinese Foreign Minister had made two main suggestions: First, the Taliban had to join the negotiations of peace. Second, China was prepared to act as a mediator to improve relations between Kabul and Islamabad. China has constantly revealed its desire to play a constructive role in Afghanistan so that the peace process moves forward. US Special Envoy ZalmayKhalilzad had a trip to Beijing on July 2019 after completing its seventh round of negotiations with the Taliban in Qatar. A Taliban delegation also travelled to Beijing on September 2019 to discuss with China’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan affairs.
In November, China declared its preparation for hosting Afghanistan’s peace talks.Taking into account the country’s geopolitics in the heart of the Middle East, Afghanistan has strong potential for changing into regional transit route and crossroads for Asia’s East, West, South, and North. Currently, Afghanistan is located in the centre of many regional and trans-regional mega projects including the BRI, which connects China to Europe and Africa through routes, railroads, pipelines, energy lines, ports, and other infrastructures and Chabahar Port, which connects Afghanistan to high seas – the project was inaugurated in December 2017 by India, Iran, and Afghanistan.