The U.S. seeks to retake Afghanistan’s Bagram air base, citing China’s growing shadow — but Kabul rejects the move, setting the stage for a volatile new front in global security.
The United States is preparing a dramatic bid to regain control of Bagram air base in Afghanistan, President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Calling the Soviet-built base “strategically vital, near China,” Trump declared, “We want that base back.”
Bagram, once the heart of U.S. military operations after 9/11, was abandoned during Washington’s 2021 withdrawal — a move that paved the way for the Taliban’s resurgence. The airfield’s location, nestled near Central Asia and bordering key Chinese influence zones, makes it a geopolitical prize in the escalating struggle for dominance.
Afghanistan’s current Taliban-backed leadership, however, flatly rejected any return of American forces. Foreign ministry official Zakir Jalal stated bluntly on X: “Afghanistan and the United States need to engage… without the United States maintaining any military presence in any part of Afghanistan.”
China quickly backed Kabul, with foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian urging Washington not to “stoke tensions” while insisting Afghanistan’s destiny must remain “in the hands of the Afghan people.” Analysts note Beijing views U.S. presence at Bagram as a direct encirclement threat — given its proximity to China’s Xinjiang region and Belt and Road trade corridors.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials quietly held talks with Taliban representatives in Kabul on the fate of detained American citizens. The paradox underscores the fragile balance between security confrontation and diplomatic necessity.
For Israel and the West, the push for Bagram highlights a stark reality: strategic vacuums are quickly filled by hostile regimes — whether in Kabul, Tehran, or Beijing. Failure to secure key footholds leaves democracies vulnerable, while terror groups and authoritarian powers consolidate influence.
As Trump pivots U.S. focus back to Afghanistan, the world faces a defining question: will America reassert deterrence in Asia’s shadowlands, or will China and the Taliban cement a new axis of instability?
