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Updated October 5th, 2021 at 17:41 IST

China denies rumours of its military deployment to Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base

China's envoy to Afghanistan Wang Yu termed the claims of Chinese military presence at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base as "fabricated rumours."

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
Afghanistan
Image: Twitter/ @ Wang Yu/ AP | Image:self
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On Monday, October 4, Wang Yu, China's ambassador to Afghanistan, called recent media and social media reports concerning a Chinese military presence at Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base "fabricated rumours." The diplomat stated on Twitter that the claims were made for an "ulterior motive," without specifying the objective. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin previously dismissed reports of a Chinese military presence in Bagram, calling the claims "pure fake information" spread by various media outlets, reported news agency Sputnik. It is worth noting that on October 2, a photo purportedly showing the Bagram Air Base's floodlights turned on in the middle of the night surfaced on social media, coupled with reports that Chinese military planes had landed and taken off during the day.

Following the report, some people on social media also alleged that the base's lights were turned on to protect it from supposed attacks by the resistance, a group that resists and fights against the Taliban rule. Meanwhile, the Taliban also disputed rumours of foreign troops stationed at Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield. On Monday, October 4, Omar Mansor, a member of the cultural council, stated that there are no foreign forces in Afghanistan, including Chinese troops, reported news agency ANI citing TOLO News. However, a former top American diplomat had warned last month that China is targeting the Bagram Air Base. In an interview with Fox News, America's former UN envoy Nikki Haley stated that the United States must keep a close eye on China as it moves to take over the Bagram Air Base, which the US has held for more than two decades. 

Bagram Air Base remains largely inactive since the Taliban takeover

Since the United States left the war-torn country in August and the Taliban took charge, the Bagram Air Base remains essentially inert. The insurgent group that took power in Afghanistan on August 15 is believed to lack the qualified staff needed to fix and operate the few remaining planes at the facility, according to Sputnik. Last month, Chinese ambassador Wang Yu also met the Taliban's interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and vowed to continue assisting and cooperating with Afghanistan without any conditions. According to TOLO News, China has offered $15 million in humanitarian relief and three million doses of COVID vaccines to Afghanistan. 

Image: Twitter/ @ Wang Yu/ AP

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Published October 5th, 2021 at 17:41 IST

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