A dangerous world not far from us
- Source: Global Times
- [00:38 August 21 2009]
- Comments
War-torn Afghanistan yesterday held its presidential election against the backdrop of a slew of bloody attacks.
In the second general election held after the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001, President Hamid Karzai and his opponents competed for the top position in probably the most hazardous country in the world.
Eight years after the Afghanistan war started, the mountainous country has been torn apart by internal tribal battles, all the while with the Taliban poised to resurge.
The security situation has deteriorated lately and rebuilding efforts have made little progress.
The election will be crucial in determining whether a smooth transfer of power can be realized. It’s a necessary step for Afghanistan to transition into a stage of peaceful development over the next five years.
It will also be a good test of whether US President Obama’s new anti-terrorism strategy will have a successful start.
The Chinese public is surprisingly disinterested in the results of the election, though Afghanistan is now important to world politics and security. Chinese are watching the news as if it is happening on another planet. The domestic press covers the violence and the Taliban with little concern for the security implications for China.
Afghanistan probably receives the least attention from the Chinese public among all of the nation’s 14 neighboring countries, despite the fact that Afghanistan is in the worst security mess.
This country’s economy depends on exporting opium, people rely on donkeys for travel, and one-third of the population lives in extreme poverty.
And this country – so deeply entangled in the chaos of war – is not far away, but right next to us. Afghanistan is connected to China through the narrow, 300 kilometers-long Vakhan Corridor.
If the ongoing anti-terrorism war and worsening security situation is not sufficient to bring our attention to the region, the July 5 riots in China’s northwest Xinjiang, and the terrorism alert on the Urumqi-bound flight from Afghanistan two weeks ago, suggest how China’s security can be disrupted by its neighbors. China’s border security will face a serious threat if Afghanistan remains unstable.
Besides security concerns, China also has a huge economic stake in the area, being the largest investor in Afghanistan. The whole region is of strategic importance to China’s energy security.
A stable Afghanistan is of crucial interest to China. China should and can play a big role in helping this neighboring country get back on its feet. The Chinese public should also be more aware of the suffering of the Afghan people.
