China is worried about Afghanistan. At some point they may get worried enough to take matters into their own hands. This is to be avoided.
At its August 16 summit in Bishkek, several member governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) identified narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan as a major regional security problem. NATO should use this possible opening to explore potential collaboration in Afghan security issues with Russia and China. Since the alliance mission in Afghanistan continues to suffer from major problems, assistance from these two countries—to supplement the support already provided by the SCO’s Central Asian members as well as SCO observer Pakistan—should be encouraged.
Chinese officials remain concerned about the Taliban’s ties to Islamic extremist groups advocating independence for China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. A June 2007 People’s Daily commentary warned that
The ‘Taliban phenomenon’ has produced grave concern. ... [I]ts resurgence has severely challenged the authority of the Afghan government. ... [T]he Taliban have grown more robust ... taking full advantage of local feelings of dissatisfaction over living conditions and anti-US sentiments. ... [T]he Taliban have galvanized their link-up with al-Qaeda remnants. ... Afghanistan is at risk of becoming the second Iraq.
An official at the Chinese Foreign Ministry subsequently said that, since maintaining stability in the larger Central Asian region represented a "primary focus" of the SCO, China and other member governments want to cooperate on fighting drugs smuggling and terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
