Taliban Reject Trump's Claims of Chinese Military Presence at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base

The Taliban has strongly rejected claims made by former US President Donald Trump, who recently alleged that China has deployed troops at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Trump claimed the Biden administration relinquished control of the strategic base, which, according to him, has allowed China to occupy a key military position near their missile production facilities.

Trump, speaking about US foreign policy and military strategy in Afghanistan, stated his intention had been to maintain American presence at Bagram. He emphasized that the airbase, equipped with significant infrastructure, is strategically located just an hour's flight from China's nuclear missile manufacturing sites. Trump insisted that leaving Bagram was a strategic mistake made by President Biden, resulting in Chinese forces now allegedly occupying the base.

However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid strongly dismissed Trump's accusations, labeling them "emotional" statements not supported by evidence. He clarified that Bagram Air Base is entirely under the jurisdiction and management of Afghanistan's current Taliban-led administration. Mujahid emphasized that no Chinese military personnel are present, nor has the Taliban entered agreements allowing foreign troops at the site. He requested Trump's advisors correct his misinformation about the situation in Afghanistan.

The Bagram airfield, approximately 44 kilometers north of Kabul, served for two decades as a key NATO and US military command center, pivotal to military operations in the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The base was abandoned by American forces four years ago during the wider withdrawal ordered under President Biden's administration, a withdrawal Trump has consistently criticized.

Further criticizing the Biden administration, Trump highlighted the vast quantity of American equipment left behind following the withdrawal. He detailed how costly military gear, including thousands of vehicles and weapons, was abandoned and argued that it should be recovered. Trump also accused the Taliban administration of selling this military hardware, claiming it had turned Afghanistan into a major international dealer of American military equipment.

Responding to these allegations, Mujahid explained that the weapons inherited by the Taliban were actually possessions of the collapsed Afghan government, which had been supported by NATO. The Taliban regards the captured military equipment as "spoils of war" and asserts that they are now using these resources to ensure the nation's security. According to a Pentagon report, the US delivered somewhere around $18.6 billion worth of military equipment to Afghan security forces from 2005 to August 2021, with approximately $7 billion worth left behind in the chaotic 2021 withdrawal, including aircraft, bombs, missiles, vehicles, firearms, and communications systems.