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ABSTRACT
Sino-Afghan relations have had a distinct characteristic for the past seventeen years. Political, economic and military imperatives have formed the basis of their close relationship despite divergence of interests and political outlook on regional issues. Strong measures have been taken by both countries to reconcile the differences and consolidate their ties. China's concerns regarding the perceived dangers of extensive US presence in Afghanistan and the challenges it faces following such development in its neighbourhood, have deeply influenced the vitality of China-Afghanistan relationship. A conceptual framework that consists of (a) state as a unitary actor (b) rationality and (c) national interest has been used to analyse the evolution of Sino-Afghan relations. This article argues that considering China's leverage in the global affairs combined with its close connection with the main shareholders in the Afghan conflict and Afghanistan's needs and willingness for cooperation, make China a natural partner for the Kabul government.
Key words: China, Afghanistan, Inter-State Relations, Peace.
Introduction
The US decision to topple the Taliban regime in 2001 opened a window of opportunity for China to begin close relations with Afghanistan. Although the modern diplomatic relations between the two neighbours were first established in 1955, Afghanistan however occupied a marginal role in Chinese diplomacy for a considerable period1. With the exception of the 1970s when China extended its support to Afghan resistance groups against the Soviet invasion2,9/11 incident is seen as the turning point in Beijing's firm support for the democratic-elected Afghan government3.
A survey of the literature on Sino-Afghan relations after 2001 shows that security and economy occupy major interest among the analysts. In doing so, it remains unclear why the Afghan view of the relation has been neglected. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyse the political, economic, and military relations between China and Afghanistan in the past seventeen years and examine Beijing's role in bringing peace and stability for the Afghans.
Political and Diplomatic Relations
Good political relations between Afghanistan and China have sound foundation. As early as the seventh century BC, ancient residents of China and Afghanistan began to communicate4. Silk Road historically was used for friendly exchanges and mutual prosperity between Afghanistan and China5. Afghanistan's recognition of the People's Republic of China in 1950 paved the...