Afghanistan withdrawal: China ready to capitalize as Taliban takes power amid ‘US humiliation’

By Houston Keene
16 August 2021

Excerpt

The Global Times also published an editorial Monday pressuring Taiwan, pushing the unreliable America narrative and saying the botched withdrawal is a “lesson” for Taiwan’s pro-democracy party.

“How Washington abandoned the Kabul regime particularly shocked some in Asia, including the island of Taiwan,” the propaganda arm wrote. “Taiwan is the region that relies on the protection of the US the most in Asia, and the island’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have made Taiwan go further and further down this abnormal path.”

“The situation in Afghanistan suddenly saw a radical change after the country was abandoned by the US,” the outlet continued. “And Washington just left despite the worsening situation in Kabul. Is this some kind of omen of Taiwan’s future fate?”

The piece also claimed the U.S. is using “political support and manipulation” in Taiwan’s government to push “anti-mainland policies” and called Taiwan “a profitable geopolitical deal for Washington.”

“Once a cross-Straits war breaks out while the mainland seizes the island with forces, the US would have to have a much greater determination than it had for Afghanistan, Syria, and Vietnam if it wants to interfere” the outlet wrote. “A military intervention of the US will be a move to change the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, and this will make Washington pay a huge price rather than earn profit.”

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