Enemies Turn Allies? Trump’s Afghan Airbase Plan Unites India, Pakistan, and China

Participants at 7th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan pose for photo in Moscow, Tuesday. (Reuters)

Washington, D.C. — October 9, 2025 - President Donald Trump's push to reclaim the U.S.-abandoned Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan has forged an unlikely alliance among traditional rivals India, Pakistan, and China, who issued a joint condemnation Wednesday, rejecting any foreign military footprint in the war-torn nation as a threat to regional stability.

The unified stance emerged from a Moscow-format meeting attended by diplomats from nine countries, including the Taliban government, where participants declared "unacceptable" attempts by external powers to redeploy military infrastructure in Afghanistan or its periphery.India's Ambassador Vinay Kumar represented New Delhi, marking a rare alignment with Islamabad and Beijing amid longstanding border disputes and Kashmir tensions.

Trump first floated the idea during a September 18, 2025, visit to the United Kingdom, stating the U.S. was "trying" to regain the sprawling airbase—once a hub for 10,000 troops during the 20-year war—to counter China's growing influence."One of the reasons we want the base is... it's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons," he said, referencing the site's proximity to Xinjiang.The proposal, aimed at projecting power and securing access to Afghanistan's estimated $1-3 trillion lithium reserves, has drawn swift rebukes.

Pakistan, long a U.S. ally but wary of renewed American meddling, led the charge at the Moscow talks, with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar warning it could "destabilize the region" and exacerbate cross-border militancy. Recent Pakistani airstrikes on Taliban targets in Afghanistan—killing at least 12 militants—were cited as evidence of bilateral tensions, potentially fueled by Trump's overtures.

China, viewing Bagram as a potential encirclement of its Belt and Road investments in Afghanistan, echoed Islamabad's concerns through state media, stating it "undermines sovereignty and invites chaos." Beijing, which recognized the Taliban in 2024 and pledged $25 million in aid, fears U.S. basing could disrupt CPEC extensions into Central Asia.

India, traditionally aligned with the U.S. via the Quad, joined the chorus to safeguard its $3 billion investments in Afghan mining and infrastructure, emphasizing "Afghanistan's future is a regional matter."

 External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated New Delhi's non-interference policy, amid reports of Taliban overtures for direct flights and trade.

Russia, Iran, and Central Asian states like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan cosigned the statement, broadening the coalition against perceived U.S. hegemony.

The opposition highlights fractures in Trump's South Asia strategy, as the Pentagon has privately dismissed reclaiming Bagram as "unfeasible" due to Taliban refusal and logistical costs exceeding $500 million annually.

The Taliban, via Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi—who visited India this week—dismissed the idea outright, warning of "severe consequences."

Analysts see the unity as tactical: Pakistan and India, nuclear-armed foes, share Afghan border anxieties, while China's economic stakes align with their security concerns. "Trump's gambit has inadvertently united adversaries against a common foe," said Brookings Institution fellow Bruce Riedel.

As the White House mulls next steps amid a government shutdown, the rare trilateral front underscores a shifting regional order—one where America's return is as unwelcome as its 2021 exit was chaotic.