Congressman McCaul: Biden's ‘Shameful’ Afghanistan Stance Bolstering China
Left: Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Texas) speaks during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, March 10, 2021. Right: President Joe Biden at the White House, May 16, 2022. (Ting Shen/Pool/Reuters; Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
May 26, 2023 - In a show of commendable political insight, Congressman Michael McCaul, the head of the House Foreign Affairs, called attention to various shortcomings in the foreign policy approach of President Biden on Sunday. He elaborated on how the disheartening decision to withdraw from Afghanistan had inadvertently paved the way for China's escalating assertiveness. Furthermore, he expressed his dismay over the administration's recent decisions which seemingly lack the necessary fortitude to curb China's ambitions.
Recently, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, was in Beijing, and McCaul asserts that his visit was marred by substantial concessions merely to secure a seat at the table. These included granting export licenses to Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE and overlooking sanctions aimed at human rights violations. McCaul shared his views with Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures, expressing his concern over the direction of diplomacy and negotiations.
McCaul, who headed a delegation to Taiwan, a country under growing Chinese pressure, also didn't mince words regarding Blinken's stance on Taiwan's sovereignty.
“Contrary to the Taiwan Relations Act, Blinken’s unwillingness to support Taiwan’s independence is not only unnecessary but deeply disappointing. It’s a tremendous setback for the Taiwanese people to hear such words from the Secretary of State.”
The congressman established a connection between the Afghanistan pullout and China's global soft-power triumphs, including its mounting hostility towards Taiwan. He suggests that China has skilfully manipulated global institutions that are predominantly funded by American taxpayers.
As a developing nation, according to the U.N. charter, China is eligible for interest-free or low-interest loans from the World Bank. This, McCaul says, is indirectly funding China's Belt and Road initiative, which is currently involved in infrastructure projects in 151 countries. He outlined how China lends this money at steep interest rates, ensnaring developing nations in debt traps, and subsequently extracting rare earth minerals.
He also pointed out how this strategy provides China with a foothold to establish ports and military bases worldwide. Drawing attention to the situation in Afghanistan.
“It’s disheartening to see them exploiting Afghanistan’s resources while gaining access to strategic locations like the Bagram air base. This disturbing conclusion to a 20-year-long conflict under Biden’s administration is simply appalling. This is what has triggered aggression from Putin, and Chairman Xi in the Pacific with Taiwan.”
McCaul emphasized the considerable losses suffered due to the U.S.'s exit from Afghanistan, "Our Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities in that part of the world were instrumental. The abandonment of such resources, especially when China is making inroads, is a disgrace to our veterans.”
He shared an incident from a recent visit to the retirement ceremony of an Abbey gate sniper, gravely injured during the Kabul Airport bombing. The sniper was denied the permission to neutralize a suspected suicide bomber before the explosion occurred. McCaul, along with his peers, is diligently investigating the Pentagon for this course of action.
As an advocacy group standing in solidarity with Afghanistan's freedom-loving citizens and the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan led by Ahmad Massoud, we express our gratitude to Congressman McCaul for his relentless examination of critical issues concerning Afghanistan.
