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China BriefingFor China, America’s messy Afghanistan exit is more than a laughing matter
- The catastrophic failure of American might against a ragtag opponent relying on Mao Zedong-style tactics has given Beijing a propaganda coup and Chinese media a field day
- But beyond the scorn lie serious questions over US influence and its willingness to defend Taiwan. What’s more, America has freed itself to focus on China and left a vacuum in which terror can breed
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Of all the jokes trending on Chinese social media mocking America’s messy withdrawal from Afghanistan, this one stands out: “If you ever feel useless … Just remember that the United States took four presidents, thousands of lives, trillions of dollars and 20 years … To replace Taliban with Taliban.”
America’s longest war has ended in a catastrophic failure, further polarising domestic politics, sapping its international standing, dismaying its allies, and emboldening its enemies.
And it has given Beijing a propaganda coup at a time when the adversarial nature of bilateral ties with Washington dominates the global headlines.
US President Joe Biden may have pinned the blame on Afghans and his predecessor Donald Trump as the world watched in shock and horror over the rapid collapse in 11 days of the Afghan government and its 300,000 strong army equipped with American military hardware and supported by supreme US air cover.
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