'Afgan eun Daeman ui Mirae'... Daeman Heundeulgi Naseun Jungguk

Chinese State Media: Afghanistan Collapse Is US Responsibility, Taiwan Treated Like Chess Piece
US Never Promised Troop Deployment to Taiwan, Only Sells Weapons as Geopolitical Trade for Profit

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese media have claimed that Afghanistan is the future of Taiwan, attempting to sway public opinion in Taiwan. Chinese media are fiercely criticizing the United States, stating that the collapse of the Afghan government is entirely the responsibility of the U.S. and that the U.S. treats its allies like chess pieces if they do not serve its own interests.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The state-run Global Times reported on the 17th that after the Islamic militant group Taliban entered the Afghan presidential palace without bloodshed on the 15th (local time) and raised the Taliban flag, the U.S. focused solely on evacuating its citizens, a scene that shocked people worldwide.

It also noted that the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan reminded many of the U.S. military withdrawal during the Vietnam War, suggesting that Taiwan will become another chess piece abandoned by the U.S., following Vietnam and Afghanistan.

The outlet cited Taiwanese media articles, stating that the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan damaged America's image and credibility, casting doubt on the U.S.'s Indo-Pacific strategy aimed at China, and argued that China's perspective on the U.S. is not wrong. The Global Times particularly pointed out that the U.S. military withdrawal occurred less than a month after the U.S. government guaranteed diplomatic humanitarian support, and although the U.S. claims strong support for Taiwan, doubts remain about whether the U.S. would militarily intervene if a war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait.

The media also relayed negative comments from Taiwanese netizens regarding the U.S. on the Taiwan issue. It introduced comments such as "Yesterday was Saigon, today is Afghanistan, tomorrow will be Taiwan?" and claimed that the Taiwanese people will ultimately be left wounded like Afghanistan.

Professor Li Haidong of the China Foreign Affairs University explained, "The Taliban's capture of Kabul signifies a complete defeat for the U.S. and deals a fatal blow to Biden's political power."

Photo by Global Times capture

Professor Jin Chanlong of Renmin University of China stated, "The commonality between Afghanistan and Taiwan is the hollow promises of the U.S. The U.S.'s failure in Afghanistan will certainly deal a heavy blow to the people of Taiwan." He added, "There will inevitably be many question marks about whether the U.S. will actually engage militarily in the Taiwan Strait."

The Global Times, citing the Associated Press, estimated that over the past 20 years, the U.S. has spent about $2 trillion on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a cost that will be a burden for future generations of Americans.

Professor Zhang Yajung of Taiwan, known as a pro-China scholar, said in an interview with the Global Times, "The U.S. has never promised to send troops if a military conflict occurs in the Taiwan Strait; it only sells weapons," and argued, "Because the U.S. can abandon Taiwan anytime according to its own interests, Taiwan must resolve cross-strait relations on its own."

In a separate editorial on the same day, the Global Times evaluated Afghanistan as a stronghold of anti-American groups and a geopolitically valuable location surrounded by China, Russia, and Iran. It criticized the U.S. military withdrawal from such an important region as being solely based on financial cost calculations. It further accused the U.S. of engaging in geopolitical transactions by sending warships and military aircraft to the Taiwan Strait in exchange for selling weapons and pork to Taiwan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.