The United States will continue its containing China policy in the future despite leaving Afghanistan which borders the emerging superpower. China is rapidly emerging as a superpower, especially in the economic field, and it is becoming a major challenge to Washington. For that, Washington has set containing China as of the principles of foreign policy in recent years. Meanwhile, it seems that Beijing will continue to be atop the US agenda in the future.
On the one side, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan proves the failure of US policies in the region and a waste of money and energy, while on the other side, given the importance of containing China for Washington and the role that the geopolitical importance of Afghanistan could play in this regard, Washington has some other goals in mind after its exit from the war-torn country.
In the past two decades, the Americans have directly controlled China on its western borders with a large military presence in Afghanistan and spending huge amounts of money. But the Americans seem to be pursuing the same policy of containing China by changing their tactic in Afghanistan from occupying to withdrawal, which comes at a much lesser expense and taking advantage of the Afghan social environment created by the Americans themselves over the past two decades.
The emergence of ISIL terror group in the region and Afghanistan in recent years and their rivalry and differences with the Taliban, which has now overtaken most of Afghanistan, as well as some differences between the Taliban and the Panjshir region and possible intra-fighting in the group can all indicate that the Taliban will not have an easy job to lead over Afghanistan. These all can lead the country to a stateless situation where there is not a functioning central government in place. The emergence of such a chaos-stricken region could well serve Washington’s interest and meet what is seeking after its exit.
Such a situation in Afghanistan would pose a serious threat to the interests of many countries in the region, including China, Russia and Iran, which are at odds with Washington.
Chaos and instability that the Unites States want on China's borders with Afghanistan and its spillover to Central Asia could challenge Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative and China's dream of a new trade order in the future.
The spillover of instability in Afghanistan to Central Asia could also negatively impact Russia's national security in favor of the advantage of the United States and the West, and could significantly reduce Russia's influence in the region.
What is more, any instability in Afghanistan could also have a negative impact on Iran’s projected increasing trade with its neighbors in the east and north in Central Asia. Lack of a reliable government in Afghanistan could negatively impact Iran-India cooperation in Chabahar port that could have provided New Delhi’s access to the Central Asian markets through Iran's southeastern port via a railway network that crosses Afghanistan.
An anticipated stateless situation in Afghanistan could come as a setback for Iran's new administration that has put strengthening and expanding trade relations with neighboring countries at the top of its foreign policy with Central Asia and Afghanistan playing a key role in its trade prospects.
To sum up, by irresponsibly leaving Afghanistan after the failure of its policies in the last two decades, the United States intends to create ill-wished chaos in the country. This way, US could also save a lot of money and troops while continuing its policy of containing China, Russia, and Iran.
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