China denies it is taking over Afghan military site that was US base
- Foreign ministry dismisses reports of talks with the Taliban to transfer the right to use Bagram Airfield
- Washington’s former UN ambassador Nikki Haley suggested China could ‘make a move for’ the base, which US vacated in July
Beijing was not in talks with the Taliban to transfer the right to use Bagram Airfield for operational needs, contrary to media reports, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.
“What I can tell everyone is that that is a piece of purely false information,” Wang said.
02:43
US troops leave Afghanistan’s Bagram airbase without notifying new Afghan commander
“We need to watch China, because I think you are going to see China make a move for Bagram air force base,” she told Fox News last Wednesday. “And I think they are also making a move in Afghanistan and trying to use Pakistan to get stronger to go against India.”
US forces handed control of the airfield to the Afghan military on July 2. It was surrendered to the Taliban 44 days later.