China in Afghanistan: Balancing Power Projection and Minimal Intervention

As it was foreseen, the initial months following the start of the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) withdrawal from Afghanistan were harsh for the Afghan government and civilians. 2 In April 2015, the Taliban launched their annual spring offensive ‘Azm’ - their most elaborate attack since they were overturned from power in 200. So far reliant on Pakistan, Afghan president Ghani has reached out to China in order to guarantee Islamabad’s dedication to the peace process. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of Beijing’s response to President Ghani’s request, before evaluating the former’s ability to become a game-changer for Afghanistan. This analysis first highlights the key features of China’s foreign policy, and then contextualises Afghanistan in that foreign policy calculus. It proceeds to assess China’s bid in Afghanistan, before concluding with a review of the unlikely prospects of this intervention.