On March 28, 2022, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ (CASS) Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) and National Institute for Global Strategy (NIGS), together with the UK National Committee on China (UKNCC), held a closed-door seminar themed “Afghanistan’s Present and Future: Chinese and UK Views,” convening more than ten international participants for discussion on Afghanistan’s current situation and geopolitics. Among the invited panelists were Mr. ZHANG Lirong, Secretary General of China Forum (CF) under Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), and Senior Colonel (Ret.) ZHOU Bo, a CISS fellow and CF expert.

An open, inclusive and peaceful Afghanistan is a common desire of the international community, Sr. Col. Zhou said, and consultations among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are necessary in order to make clear demands on the Taliban as conditions for the lifting of sanctions. In addition, he believes that China can play a unique role in the political and economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Despite the changes in the geopolitical and economic landscapes following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, there is no need to “fill a power vacuum,” Mr. Zhang Lirong noted. Where Afghanistan goes from here and its spillover effects will have a key geopolitical impact. Security, in the short run, is a challenge for Afghanistan; but the long-term and real determinant is economy, he added. Therefore, promoting Afghan integration into the framework of regional security and economic cooperation will contribute to the stability and development of the region.