The lack of self-reflection in the United States over the haphazard retreat from Afghanistan is nothing short of stunning. President Joe Biden’s plummeting approval ratings, a fourth wave of the pandemic, inflation and southern border security could combine to wreak havoc for Democrats in the coming midterm elections.

The withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan is not as much of a game-changer for China as some may think. The Afghan people ferociously defend their sovereignty against foreign incursions, and future complications cannot be ruled out.

How to deal with the fast-moving political changes is a shared challenge for China and the United States. But the Biden administration needs to learn one obvious lesson, and quickly: The world does not work the way America thinks it does.

Over the past 20 years, an over-reliance on military power has failed to bring the U.S. anywhere near resolving international conflicts. Now, with the U.S. defeat in Afghanistan, counterterrorism thinking has been defeated as well. Diplomacy must take its place.

After two decades, the United States’ war in Afghanistan is finally coming to an end in late August. Though he is defending his decision, President Joe Bi

The fears are not baseless. For a century, Afghanistan has had deep connections with various transnational jihadist forces. One noted scholar calculates that some 100,000 extremists have connected with Pakistan alone and formed a vast international network.

The United States is seeking to put an end to its sprawling invasion of Afghanistan, leaving behind calamitous regional instability at the crossroads of Asia. China’s rising stature in Asia and its expanding interests have them poised to take the reins of global conflict in the country.

The impact of the Afghan Taliban on regional security is limited. But China may nevertheless want to consider economic means to encourage the stability and development in Central Asia, including construction of a highway from Kashgar to Kabul.

American troops are leaving, but the troubles brought by the war on terrorism in the country are far from over. U.S. President Joe Biden says the move is to shift resources to better compete with China. But if the U.S. fails to learn its lessons, it will surely pay a hefty price anew in the future.

America has failed, but the effect should be modest for China, which has taken reasonable steps to eradicate the roots of extremism at home and weakened external links. Its constructive role must continue.