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Comment on Trump’s Bagram gambit is all about China by Rules Based Disorder
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Comments for Asia Times
A Taliban foreign ministry official dismissed the idea of a US return to Bagram, citing sovereignty and the Doha Agreement peace deal.
From such a base, US airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms could shrink response times over western China.
Beijing responded to Trump’s Bagram remarks by saying it “respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty” and warning Washington not to “stoke tensions”—a sign that the message landed.
As a signal, Trump’s Bagram gambit has already succeeded: it provoked a swift Taliban rejection, a formal response from Beijing and reintroduced a continental dimension into what has been a maritime-heavy rivalry.
Ultimately, Trump’s Bagram shout is a signal to Beijing, not a strategy for Kabul.