China, Russia, Pakistan and Turkey all appear set to formally recognise Taliban rule in neighbouring Afghanistan after the Islamist terror group seized the Presidential Palace in Kabul on Sunday and the country's embattled president fled for Tajikistan. In dealing with the Taliban, an increasingly powerful China may be able to leverage the fact that, unlike Russia or the United States, it has never fought them. After their meeting with Wang, the Taliban said they hope China can play a bigger economic role. Russia is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with the United States, Britain, France, and China. We must now live up to our obligations, especially to those Afghan people who worked so bravely with British representatives in Afghanistan.

Source: The Nation August 15, 2021 19:52 UTC