China Could Provide Sanctions Lifeline to Taliban, Experts Say
China could be an important economic and diplomatic lifeline for the Taliban as the group takes over the Afghan government and faces a range of sanctions (see 2108260055), the German Marshall Fund said Aug. 27. Beijing has power to sway decisions by the United Nations Security Council and is “more comfortable threatening its veto” on UNSC sanctions and embargo issues, which could give it leverage over the Taliban, the GMF said in a post written by China experts Bonnie Glaser and Andrew Small. “In a context where the Taliban know they will not receive real economic backing from the West -- at least not without conditions they will find unacceptable -- China is one of the few places they can turn.”
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In addition, there is “goodwill” between China and the Taliban because Beijing provided the group with money and arms “when they were in exile,” the post said. “China can dangle these inducements to a government that is likely to be in a difficult spot, economically and diplomatically.” Plus, “Beijing doesn’t want a sanctioned, pariah state in its neighborhood.”