For weeks, China has triumphantly portrayed the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as a boon to Beijing and catastrophic for Washington. State media has depicted the frenzied US departure as the end of an era of Western domination that has impeded China’s rise. It has also portrayed Afghanistan as a land of “a thousand opportunities” for Chinese developers and investors, although it’s unclear how effectively China will be able to capitalise on the country’s vast resources moving forward.
Meanwhile in the US, some hawkish commentary has played up fears that China will capitalise on the region’s changing strategic landscape. John Bolton, the former US national security adviser, warned in an op-ed that China and Russia “are already seeking to reap advantages”.
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