N. P. Upadhyaya, Kathmandu: International powers have in a roundabout manner said that they would like to “work” with Afghanistan’s new set up led by the Talibans.

This could be a puzzle for some but it is fact.

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, claim international media agencies, has said that “we will work with Afghani-Talibans if it helps restore peace and stability in the country”.

Frankly speaking, world powers like, China, Russia, the US and the South Asian nation Pakistan have shown keen interest in working with the Afghani new set up under Taliban.

South Asian regional scoundrel India is yet to speak.

Needless to say, the Talibanis have in a way already been recognized by world powers which got testified by the Russia led format of Troika Plus that comprised China, Russia, the US and Pakistan.

President Ghani was apprehensive of this recognition from the world powers to Talibanis with whom he was fighting.

Perhaps Ghani feared this recognition and fled the country.

Now with this advance-recognition, the Talibs have opened up their line of communications with the countries that have already recognized them as a formidable Afghani force.

Among the many, the Chinese and the Russians appear to be more than interested in forging “excellent ties” with the new force-the Talibs.

Experts say that the Russians and the Chinese have a greater role in making Afghanistan politically stable that is good for the health of neighboring Pakistan and the entire Central Asian countries.

The unannounced visit of the Taliban delegation to China and their high profile meeting with the China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Tianjin, July 28 last month speaks so many things unspoken.

This meet assumed high significance now in that the war torn country as of now has already come under complete control of the insurgents Taliban.

Is it China’s quiet diplomacy that has worked in advance?

Or is it that Beijing knew that the Talibs will soon capture Kabul?
China has reasons to have close ties with the Talibans because Beijing fears that an angry Talibs may cause severe damage, if they so desire, to the mega project called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor-CPEC.

The Chinese fear the Indians who may penetrate into the Talib establishment and create problems for both: China and Pakistan-India’s declared rivals.

In order to keep safe, the CPEC, the Chinese and even the Pakistanis need to keep the Talibs in a pleasing mood.

China has also to keep the Uighur-Muslims issue untouched. This has some underlying meaning.

Writes Adam Weinstein for the Foreign Policy dated August 20 that for China and Russia, the country (Afghanistan) is a liability not an asset.

The rush seen in the countries like, Russia, China, the US and Pakistan and very freshly the United Kingdom has some meaning or not?

Here is the probable answer.

“Afghanistan has a rare earth minerals and, perhaps most importantly, what could be one of the world’s biggest deposits of Lithium-an essential but scarce component in rechargeable batteries and other technologies vital to tackling the climate crisis”, sums up the CNN Tweet dated 19 August, 2021.

Is the capture of rare earth resources attracting the great powers to Afghanistan? Keep on guessing.

With the sudden fleeing of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Tajikistan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the capture of Kabul was made even easier to the Talibs.

Now that the Taliban (s) have taken control of the entire political affairs of the country, experts of international relations worry as to how the Talibs will provide peace and stability to the “destabilized” country.

Though the Taliban high placed authorities have through a press conference, August 17, assured the countrymen that anyone who wanted to serve the country will not be ignored and the government of the future will be an inclusive one.

The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid clearly said that the immediate priority of the Taliban will be to create law and order.

He said that “after this the people will be able to live in peace. No one will harm you. No one will knock on your door”.

Talking to the press Zabihullah said that the Afghani women would be given rights and freedoms under Sharia law.
“She will be able to work in the health sector and schools”.

Most importantly, the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah assured the community both within and without saying that “We will make sure that Afghanistan no longer becomes a battlefield, we have forgiven all those who fought against us. Now our enmity is over. We no longer want any enemy outside or within the country. Now we don’t want to see chaos in Kabul.”

However, the international community is yet to trust on the assurances made by the Talibs August 17, who have just taken control of Afghanistan.

It is at this juncture, the Talibs need the required assistance from the international community in their fresh bid to restore peace and stability in Afghanistan.

China is perhaps the first country to have taken note of the Talibs after the Kabul take over and has come out with a strong meaning loaded statement which hints that China was ready to assist the Talibs in the days ahead.

Look what China says: “China is ready to deepen “friendly and cooperative” relations with Afghanistan”.

This was stated by a government spokeswoman August 16, 2021, after the Taliban seized control of the country.

Beijing has long feared Afghanistan could become a staging point for minority Uyghur separatists in the sensitive border region of Xinjiang.

Perhaps guided by this threat, China in advance met the Taliban delegation in Chin’s small city Tianjin on July 28.

As of Russia, writes Petr Kozlov & Anna Rynda for the BBC Russian, Moscow dated August 21, 2021, that “Unlike most foreign embassies in the capital, Russia says its diplomatic mission remains open and it’s had warm words for the new rulers”.

Petr Kozlov and Anna Rynda further opine that “Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov in Kabul met a Taliban representative within 48 hours of the takeover and said he had seen no evidence of reprisals or violence”.

The Talibs have soothing words from one of the world’s super power-the Russian Federation.

To recall, Zamir Kabulov, the special Russian Representative of Russia and the Troika Plus mechanism must have met the Talibs several times in the past.

In the same vein, Moscow’s UN representative Vassily Nebenzia too spoke of a bright future of national reconciliation, with law and order returning to the streets and of “the ending of many years of bloodshed”.

Moscow gives a clean chit to the Talibs who have now captured Kabul.

This too has meaning underneath.

The Pakistani stance: Pakistan says that the USs decision to remain committed to a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite the Afghan-Talibans lightening takeover of the country, is a “logical conclusion” to the Afghan conflict, claims Al Jazeera dated August 16, 2021.

Writes for the TIMESNOWNEWS.Com Srinjoy Chaudhary, August 10 that the Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa had met the top Talibani leaders in Doha in July this year.

Srinjoy further writes that the Pak Army Chief was accompanied by the ISI chief, Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, and Major General Sardar Hassan Hayat, also of the ISI.

The late-night meeting, claims Srinjoy, was with Mullah Baradar and Mullah Abdul Hakim, the two top Taliban leaders.

This means that Pakistan is comfortable with the arrival of the Talibans in Afghanistan?

Reports the Economic Times dated August 21 that “Pakistan’s strategic security objectives in Afghanistan almost certainly continue to be countering Indian influence and mitigating spillover of the Afghan civil war into Pakistani territory”

Having said all this, is the new Afghan set up a liability or an asset for both China and Russia?
And what the new Afghani set up is for Pakistan?

Unfolding events in South Asia are of great significance for the stability for this region. That’s all.