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Khalilzad rejects claims that China controls former US base in Afghanistan

In a statement posted Saturday on X, Khalilzad wrote: “I do not believe the report that Communist China now controls the strategic Bagram Airbase. It is not true.”

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Former U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has firmly denied reports suggesting that China has taken control of Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, countering repeated assertions made by President Donald Trump.

In a statement posted Saturday on X, Khalilzad wrote: “I do not believe the report that Communist China now controls the strategic Bagram Airbase. It is not true.”

His remarks come after Trump publicly repeated claims that China has assumed control over the airbase—once the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan—describing the situation as a major strategic failure stemming from the 2021 withdrawal.

Trump, who returned to office in January 2025, has sharply criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, over the exit from Afghanistan. In recent public remarks, Trump stated that Bagram’s location, near China’s western border and its nuclear facilities, makes it a critical military asset. He described the U.S. pullout as a “disaster” that has “handed a strategic gift to China.”

Earlier this week, Khalilzad had shared a link to one such report claiming Chinese control over Bagram. In a follow-up post, however, he clarified that he does not endorse the claim and has seen no credible evidence supporting it.

Bagram Airbase, located just north of Kabul, served as the central hub of American and NATO operations for nearly 20 years. Since the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021, the airfield has been under the control of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. No verifiable evidence has emerged indicating that Chinese forces or officials have taken over its operations.

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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff

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Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”

Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”

He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.

He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.

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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India

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Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.

The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.

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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.

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Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.

During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.

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