Report - United States Department of Defense

UNCLASSIFIED
spread of violent extremism in the region and threats stemming from the narcotics trafficking and
other related criminal activities. According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
Tajikistan remains the primary route for Afghan-produced narcotics to Russian markets, with
conduits through other Central Asian States. Border security remains a top concern for the
Central Asian States, which are closely attuned to the implications for their own countries
stemming from events in Afghanistan and developments in narcotics trafficking.
A lack of security relations between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries continues to
hamper border security. Security relations with Central Asian states, including military-tomilitary
and police-to-police relations are underdeveloped at both at the upper and middle levels.
Exchanges and meetings between security officials are rare. Some progress was made in
improving security relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan when the Kazak defense
minister visited Kabul during the reporting period.
5.4: CHINA
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has two primary interests in Afghanistan: security and
economic. It continues to seek improved relations with, and stability for, Afghanistan, while it
devotes diplomatic effort to developing a deeper economic relationship. Beijing has given no
indication of plans to commit security personnel to Afghanistan, although it does have a program
to help train Afghan police.
Since 2002, the PRC has committed more than $200M in aid to the Afghan government, and in
2009, China announced it would provide an additional $75M over the next five years. Further,
PRC companies will likely continue to invest in Afghanistan, most notably in the development of
Afghanistan’s mines and infrastructure. The PRC has begun development of a section of the
Amu Darya oilfield, and is currently conducting a feasibility study for a rail system to support
extraction efforts at the Aynak copper mine. However, the PRC continues to have security
concerns, including issues such as Uighur separatists who find haven in lawless border areas, the
safety of PRC workers in Afghanistan, and narcotics trafficking into western China. The PRC
and Afghanistan exchange regular political visits and seek cooperative bilateral efforts on
counterterrorism and counter-narcotics issues. Beijing has also voiced its support for
reconciliation efforts between the Afghan Government and the Taliban.
Although the PRC maintains a strict policy of non-involvement with ISAF security operations, it
has provided ANSF personnel a variety of non-lethal, PRC-based training to bolster
Afghanistan’s security and stability since 2006. Training for the ANP conducted at People’s
Armed Police municipal training facilities has covered policing skills, crowd and riot control,
criminal investigations, and internal security duties. The PRC has also offered basic, advanced,
and senior military courses for ANSF officers at Peoples’ Liberation Army military training
colleges and universities.
Beijing has continued to support regional diplomacy, most notably by involving President Karzai
in regional economic summits. Following years of informal involvement in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), Afghanistan was awarded observer status at the SCO during
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