Former U.S.
unique envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has actually firmly rejected reports recommending that China has taken control of Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, countering duplicated assertions made by President Donald Trump.In a statement published Saturday on X, Khalilzad wrote: “& ldquo; I do not believe the report that Communist China now controls the tactical Bagram Airbase.
It is not real.”& rdquo; His remarks followed Trump openly duplicated claims that China has actually assumed control over the airbase—-- when the biggest U.S.
military installation in Afghanistan—-- explaining the circumstance as a significant tactical failure originating from the 2021 withdrawal.Trump, who returned to workplace in January 2025, has greatly criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, over the exit from Afghanistan.
In recent public remarks, Trump specified that Bagram’& rsquo; s location, near China’& rsquo; s western border and its nuclear centers, makes it an important military possession.
He explained the U.S.
pullout as a “& ldquo; disaster & rdquo; that has & ldquo; handed a strategic present to China.”& rdquo; Earlier this week, Khalilzad had shared a link to one such report declaring Chinese control over Bagram.
In a follow-up post, however, he clarified that he does not endorse the claim and has actually seen no reliable proof supporting it.Bagram Airbase, located simply north of Kabul, served as the central center of American and NATO operations for almost 20 years.
Considering that the U.S.
withdrawal in August 2021, the airfield has actually been under the control of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
No verifiable evidence has actually emerged suggesting that Chinese forces or authorities have taken control of its operations.The post Khalilzad rejects claims that China controls former US base in Afghanistan initially appeared on TINS News|Afghanistan News.