US-China belt and road row weakens United Nations resolution on Afghanistan
- Washington objects to reference to Beijing’s infrastructure drive in extension to mandate of UN political mission in Afghanistan
The United States and China clashed on Friday over Beijing’s US$1 trillion “belt and road” global infrastructure programme after the Security Council unanimously approved a bare-bones resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations’ political mission in Afghanistan for six months.
Last year’s resolution extending the mission’s mandate for a year welcomed and urged further efforts to strengthen regional economic cooperation involving Afghanistan, including through the massive “Belt and Road Initiative” to link China to Europe, Africa and other parts of Asia. The 2016 and 2017 council resolutions had similar language.
Council diplomats said China wanted the “belt and road” language included in this year’s resolution – but the US objected.
US deputy ambassador Jonathan Cohen told the council after the vote that “China held the resolution hostage and insisted on making it about Chinese national political priorities rather than the people of Afghanistan”.
He said the Trump administration opposed China’s demand “that the resolution highlight its belt and road initiative, despite its tenuous ties to Afghanistan and known problems with corruption, debt distress, environmental damage, and lack of transparency”.
Chinese deputy ambassador Wu Haitao said Cohen’s remarks were “at variance with the facts and are fraught with prejudice”. He also said one council member – almost certainly referring to the US – “poisoned the atmosphere” which led to the council’s failure to adopt a substantive resolution.