Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

China, Taliban Condemn Trump’s Bagram Air Base Remarks


(MENAFN) China and the Taliban have criticized US President Donald Trump’s recent comments regarding the potential reclamation of Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base. Trump stated that he is engaging in discussions with Afghan authorities on the matter, asserting that the base is strategically important for Washington due to its proximity to some of China’s significant nuclear facilities.

“China respects Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Afghanistan’s future should rest in the hands of the Afghan people,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a briefing on Friday.

He added, “Stirring up tension and confrontation in the region will not be supported.”

A day prior, Zakir Jalaly, an official at the Afghan Foreign Ministry, stated that the Afghan populace would oppose any return of US forces.

He emphasized that Kabul and Washington should cultivate mutually respectful economic and political relations “without the US maintaining any military presence in any part of Afghanistan.”

The Soviet-era base came under the authority of the Taliban-led Afghan Defense Ministry following the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, concluding a twenty-year military presence in the nation.

Trump has described the pullout, which happened under his predecessor Joe Biden, as “a disgrace.”

Trump has also claimed, without presenting proof, that China is utilizing the base. Kabul has denied these allegations.

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