Kokcha News Agency: Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan, has firmly denied reports suggesting that China has taken control of Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Khalilzad wrote, “I do not believe the report that Communist China now controls the strategic Bagram Airbase. It is not true.”
Khalilzad’s remarks come in response to repeated claims by President Donald Trump, who has asserted that China has assumed control of the airbase, describing the situation as a major strategic failure resulting from the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Trump, who returned to office in January 2025, has been highly critical of his predecessor, Joe Biden, over the withdrawal, calling it a “disaster” that has “handed a strategic gift to China.”
Trump has emphasized the strategic importance of Bagram Airbase, located near China’s western border and its nuclear facilities, suggesting that its alleged control by China poses a significant threat to U.S. interests.
Earlier this week, Khalilzad shared a link to a report claiming Chinese control over Bagram but later clarified that he does not endorse the claim and has seen no credible evidence to support it.
Bagram Airbase, situated just north of Kabul, served as the central hub for U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan for nearly two decades. Since the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021, the airfield has been under the control of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban). There is no verifiable evidence to suggest that Chinese forces or officials have taken over its operations.
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