China’s Afghanistan Policy in a Post-US Era

Abstract

With Taliban’s takeover of Kabul and the United States’ complete withdrawal of forces in August 2021, dramatic changes have happened in Afghanistan. China, as the largest neighbour of Afghanistan, is expected to play a bigger role. This article examines China’s intensified bilateral and multilateral diplomacy towards Afghanistan in a post-US retreat era. It attempts to interpret the objectives of China’s engagement with the Taliban regime and identify the limits of China’s policy.