China can be ‘very cautious’ coping with the Taliban authorities, former U.S. ambassador says

China will tread cautiously in Afghanistan and its primary purpose could be to work with the Taliban on border safety, a former U.S. ambassador to Beijing stated Friday.

The world’s second-largest financial system is among the few international locations that established friendly relations with the Taliban even earlier than the militant group took over Afghanistan in a matter of days final month.

“I count on that China can be very cautious,” Max Baucus, who was the U.S. ambassador to China between February 2014 and January 2017 beneath former President Barack Obama, stated on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.“

“They won’t attempt to take over the nation as different international locations, together with the U.S., have,” he stated, including that China is apprehensive about potential terror assaults inside its borders or on Chinese language targets within the area, carried out from Afghan soil.

“Their main concern is East Turkestan. They’ll work with the Taliban to assist be sure there’s little or no terrorism from Afghanistan,” Baucus stated, referring to the Uyghur extremist group called the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

The previous ambassador added that developments in Afghanistan will check the USA as its world army and political clout decline following its withdrawal, leaving room for others like China to fill the hole.

“That is going to check the USA,” Baucus stated, including, “We do not but have a strongly outlined coverage for China, and now this withdrawal goes to complicate the event of that strategic coverage towards China.”

For years, Afghanistan served as an necessary yard for China, in keeping with Mohammad Shafiq Hamdam, who beforehand served as deputy safety advisor to former President Ashraf Ghani.

“Their curiosity is solely financial and political,” he instructed CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Friday, including that the Taliban and the Chinese language authorities have little or no in widespread aside from “difficult the U.S. presence within the area (and) difficult NATO allies.”

China is curious about Afghanistan’s trillions of {dollars} value of untapped mineral assets that may probably assist Beijing increase its world affect, in keeping with Hamdam, who additionally beforehand served as senior advisor to NATO in Afghanistan.

He defined that China can place itself in its place supply for the Taliban as Afghanistan is in determined want of financial help.