Topic: The Situation in Afghanistan
Country: China
Delegate Name: Tyler Krasny
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All China position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
Since the origins of the Taliban, Afghanistan has seen a marked lack of stability, creating a situation in which both terrorists and chaos thrive. To date, over 31,000 civilian deaths have occurred in Afghanistan, and that’s not even considering any military-related deaths in the country. With IEDs causing uncertainty at every turn, and refugees looking for a safe haven to rely on, the situation in Afghanistan is dire to say the least.
As a neighboring country to Afghanistan, China has felt the affects of the nation’s turmoil all too well. In China’s Xinjiang province, Uighur militants have begun to use the Taliban and terrorist fighters in Afghanistan as a source of inspiration, and pose a serious threat to the stability of western China. To ensure the Uighur rebels do not gain any more of a foothold, the Security Council must ensure that Afghanistan and Pakistan cannot serve as a sanctuary for terror. Further, as China hopes to continue to expand its economic prowess, Afghanistan and Pakistan could be greatly benefited by mutual trade deals with China—deals that cannot properly function through the instability.
To resolve this conflict, a couple key principles must first be established. On all accounts, the United States’ 16 year war in Afghanistan has failed, miserably. Through attempting to push politics aside in favor of military might, the United States and its allies have undoubtedly contributed to the lack of stability in the region. The situation in Afghanistan stems, and has always stemmed, from politics. China firmly believes that no solution to the unrest in Afghanistan will come from solely military action; rather, political action must be taken, without a Western agenda. For example, the government of Pakistan has relentlessly fought the evil of terrorism in Afghanistan, yet is completely overlooked by much of the international community as a key player in the fight against terror.
Moreover, assuming a political approach to solving Afghanistan’s turmoil will be taken to some extent, negotiations with the Taliban must be taken carefully. In any context, the Taliban must not be dealt with unless negotiations are done under predetermined conditions that include severing any potential ties to terrorism. Otherwise, the Taliban will undoubtedly take advantage of the situation and leverage all possible angles.
Clearly, the situation in Afghanistan is a complex one, and cannot be solved through brute force. However, China is confident that through careful political maneuvering, the Security Council can create stability for the region.
