The list of losers from the debacle in Afghanistan is a long one — headed, of course, by the Afghan people themselves. On the short list of winners one name stands out: the People’s Republic of China. China did not exactly take the Taliban’s side. But it is certainly well positioned to take advantage of their victory.
China is already the largest customer for the group’s mining operations, a bigger earner for them than the opium trade. It has the rights to Mes Aynak, the world’s second-largest copper mine, 25 miles from Kabul, which may finally be able to start operations. It gains more stability on its borders and sees Afghanistan yanked out of India’s orbit. Its state media have already suggested that the
