Afghanistan has always remained a major geo-political dispute among the superpowers and the new blank space created post-Taliban took over the country has created a contest of trio superpowers (the US, China and Russia) on securing their influence in the war-torn nation.
Ahmad Marzee, a graduate of Kardan University in Afghanistan and Command and Staff College of the United States in an opinion piece in Khaama Press said that Following the expeditious withdrawal of the US and its partners from Afghanistan in August 2021, a new version of blank space was created.
The great game (Tsar Russia vs Britain), Cold War (USSR/Russia vs America) and the war on global terrorism gained the attention of the US, China and Russia triumvirate to fight for supremacy, domination and securing their strategic depth in Afghanistan
China and Russia were cautiously tracking the vacuum in Afghanistan because both of them had their diplomatic missions running active while other foreign diplomatic offices had shut their doors in Afghanistan.
China, one of the most powerful countries in the world in terms of formidable economy and massive military status, already made an impression on the Taliban, said Marzee.
In addition to that, the cornerstone relationship of Pakistan with the Taliban has put a further value on diplomatic ties with China and the Taliban. China, as an emerging superpower country in Asia, always pursues its so-called economic domination by investing in other countries.
Indeed, China wants to expand its influence in Afghanistan through its non-interference approach. But in reality, China is eyeing Afghan’s mines and suppressing the Uyghur minorities who have been given shelter in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.
On the other hand, Russia is looking for a durable, trustful and sustainable relationship with the current regime of Kabul. However, the war on Ukraine and the mild activities of ISK-P in some of the northern provinces of Afghanistan have kept Russia in a think-tank room.
Russia perceives that probably its arch-rival (the US) is planning to trap it either in Afghanistan or Ukraine. On the other hand, the weekly sending of dollars by the US to Kabul and secret meetings of the US and the Taliban officials behind closed doors in Doha, have kept the other dots of the triangle (China and Russia) in the back seats of the game, said Marzee.
However, the continuation of the triangle game over the maintaining of influence could further divide the current regime of the Taliban into smaller groups where each might work in a favour of any of the triangle superpowers.