Withdrawal from Afghanistan helps the US focus resources on dealing with China and Russia

Diplomatic observers say the US withdrawal from Afghanistan may not be good news for China if the move frees up US military resources and allows Washington to focus on strategic competition with Beijing.

A US helicopter flies over the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021. Photo: Reuters.

US President Joe Biden has also defended his decision by making it clear that the withdrawal will give the US the opportunity to focus on dealing with China and Russia.

Meanwhile, Chinese media and diplomats have recently taken every opportunity to highlight the image of thousands of Afghans, including US personnel, crowding the runway at Kabul International Airport as US transport planes took off, viewing it as evidence that Washington is selfish and unreliable towards its allies and partners in both Europe and Asia.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan is seen as a heavy blow to US prestige.

The US and China will compete again over Afghanistan in a new form

But the withdrawal also has the potential to turn Afghanistan — long seen as a key area of ​​cooperation between Washington and Beijing — into the latest arena for confrontation between the two sides.

Derek Grossman, a defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, said that maintaining stability in Afghanistan is a top priority for both Beijing and Washington. But differences between the US and China are becoming increasingly apparent after China announced that it is ready for a “friendly and cooperative” relationship with the Taliban (the extremist Islamic group that took power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021).

Grossman argues that the US will only accept a “responsible and improved Taliban to govern this country”. Meanwhile, China is more concerned with regional stability. According to Grossman, it is this fundamental difference that is likely to lead to a further estrangement between the US and China on the issue of Afghanistan.

In a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on August 16, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged to work with the US side to promote a "soft landing".

Asked whether China was laughing at the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying replied: "We don't need to make fun of it... This is the old problem of the US, they don't look for the causes of their own problems, and don't try to solve the root of the problem, but continue to blame the outside world."

It remains to be seen whether China will take advantage of the US withdrawal.

China can not be happy yet

Meanwhile, America is struggling to maintain its image.

On August 18, President Biden told ABC News that what happens to Afghanistan will not happen to America's allies.

“We have a sacred commitment to Article 5 (of the North Atlantic Treaty), which is that if someone invades or takes action against NATO allies, we will respond. Same with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,” Biden said.

Biden’s reference to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory, prompted the State Department to reiterate that U.S. policy toward the island, often seen as strategically ambiguous, was unchanged.

In a related development, US Vice President Kamala Harris has set off to visit Southeast Asia to emphasize America's commitment to the region.

Shi Yinhong, an international expert at Renmin University, said Beijing is carefully monitoring developments in Afghanistan.

"There must be some strategic benefit for the US after withdrawing from the 20-year war. The US has made it clear that it will concentrate its strategic forces on China, I believe China is listening and watching," Shi said.

Lu Xiang, a US affairs expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the Asia-Pacific could be a top priority in the White House's policy agenda.

According to Lu, the US always tries to make things difficult for China through the East Sea and Taiwan issues.

Chen Xiangmiao, a researcher at the Hainan-based National Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, said China could face greater pressure from the US after it withdraws all its troops from Afghanistan.

For example, the US can put more pressure on China on the Myanmar issue, while increasing engagement with Malaysia and the Philippines on the East Sea issue./.