New York/Washington, May 2 — Former U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that China has taken control of Afghanistan’s Bagram Airbase, which the United States vacated in July 2021 during the Biden administration’s military withdrawal.
Speaking at the White House during the National Prayer Day event on Thursday, Trump asserted that the Bagram airfield, once the largest American military base in Afghanistan, is now under Chinese occupation. He emphasized the strategic significance of the airbase by highlighting its proximity to Chinese nuclear facilities.
Trump stated that Bagram, located approximately an hour away from areas where China reportedly develops its nuclear missiles, should never have been abandoned. He criticized the Biden administration’s decision to relinquish control of the airbase, describing it as a grave strategic error and a symbol of what he called a “disastrous” withdrawal from Afghanistan.
As per agency report, Trump underscored that Bagram is one of the largest and most fortified airbases in the world, equipped with an 11,800-foot runway capable of handling bombers and heavy cargo aircraft. He lamented the fact that such a crucial military installation was surrendered without maintaining a presence in a geopolitically sensitive region.
Located in Parwan province, about 47 kilometers north of Kabul and near Charikar city, the Bagram Airfield played a pivotal role in U.S. military operations throughout its two-decade-long presence in Afghanistan.
Trump’s remarks are likely to reignite debates around the U.S. exit from Afghanistan and the implications of shifting regional power dynamics, particularly with the increasing influence of China in South and Central Asia. However, his claims regarding China's current control of the airbase have not been independently verified by U.S. defense officials.
