Authoritarianism versus liberal democracies is the broad ideological ‘divide’ of the 21st century. The aggressive resurgence of assorted illiberal regimes based on extremist religiosity, military juntas, dictatorships and despotism, forms a collective ‘bloc’ which finds succor under the tutelage of China (with Russia, in tactical tow), against the ‘Free World’ of participative democracies.

With a crisis of confidence and pressures on coffers looming over the liberal world, the relatively flush and expansionist Chinese juggernaut has emerged as a geopolitical force of consequence, by stitching together the alterative ‘bloc’ of proverbial pariahs! The appeal of the Chinese ‘bloc’ or Sinosphere is the access to Chinese largesse without moral preaching or insistence on awkward issues like human rights, democracy, secularism etc., that is typically incumbent on the ‘Free World’ practitioners (with energy-flush Sheikdoms as the dishonourable exceptions).

The Chinese readily embrace the unwanted, with no qualms attached whatsoever to their ideological differences or any other issues of ‘fitment’ vis-à-vis China’s own supposed commitment towards Communism. Anything goes, as long as the alliance furthers China’s hegemonic insatiability and protects Chinese interests. Realpolitik is at the heart of Chinese diplomacy and these topical ‘interests’ can overrule all other considerations.

The Taliban-led Afghanistan could be the latest entrant to the Chinese ‘bloc’ as the other ‘bloc’ of the ‘Free World’ would be morally bound to maintain a distance from the revisionist and extremist Taliban ~ for whom, too, there is no practical alternative but to sew itself to the Chinese ‘bloc’ for sovereign legitimacy. The introductions and familiarisation of the boorish Taliban leadership can be ably handled by their progenitors i.e. the Pakistani ‘establishment’, which has deep access and relationship with the Afghan Taliban and the Chinese.

Much like the counter-intuitive relationship between the ‘Emirate of Islamic Afghanistan’ and ‘Communist China’, the template for overcoming the undeniable ideological concern has already been established with the ‘all weather friendship’ between ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ and ‘Communist China’. Like the sweeping-under-the-carpet of contentious issues like that of the besieged Uyghurs in China, afforded by the notso-gallant Pashtun in Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, a similar overlooking of the hapless Uyghurs could be the decisive quid pro quo afforded by the Taliban, towards securing Chinese generosity and beneficence.

In a shocking surrender of religious faith and commitments toward its persecuted brethren in China, the Taliban has already assured China that it will not allow its territory to be used by ‘terrorists’ to target any country ~ the implied reference to forces like the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) through the Wakhan corridor on the SinoAfghan border is unmistakable.

For China, the exit of the US forces from Afghanistan and a beholden Taliban government in Kabul is a win-win situation, as it opens possibilities of a new market, access to rare earth metals, new vistas for Belt and Road imperatives like the arterial China Pakistan Economic Corridor and also the strategic opening to Central Asian Republics like Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The amoral Chinese have wasted no time to seek ‘friendly cooperation with Afghanistan’, under the Taliban. The telltale signs of endearing themselves to the Taliban are all pervasive, with unprecedented warm words like ‘On the basis of fully respecting the sovereignty of Afghanistan and the will of all factions in the country, China has maintained contact and communication with the Afghan Taliban and played a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Afghan issue’.

Meanwhile, as the ‘Free World’ is busy condemning the Taliban takeover and concerning itself with the inevitable to follow, the Chinese are ‘taking over’ as the only plausible ‘bloc’ option for the Taliban. Both sides have thrown caution to the winds to cover up the ideological, historical and religious ‘warts’ that realistically beset the unnaturalness of the brewing alliance ~ but as the high temple of realpolitik, Beijing ticks Afghanistan as one more pariah nation in its kitty.

Few months back, China had shown the same alacrity and flexibility in legitimizing the Junta coup in Myanmar. Even as the West twiddled its thumbs with sanctions and countries like India offered mealy-mouthed inanities, Beijing offered its open support to the isolated Junta. Much like the sacrificial dumping of the forgotten Uyghurs in the Sino-Afghan dimension, even the Sino-Myanmar relationship was wounded with Beijing’s proven and historical support to Myanmar insurgent groups in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states ~ the Junta, above all knew of the same as they had faced the consequences of Chinese machinations.

But the ready offer of Chinese support following the coup was simply priceless for the optionless Junta to ignore. That is how Chinese diplomacy works, as it preys on the lack of alternatives and sets the honeytrap of weaning, seducing, and entrapping a roguish regime, under its protection. The Chinese ‘bloc’ has illiberal and autocratic countries like Kim Jong Un’s North Korea, terror ‘nursery’ of Pakistan, junta-led Myanmar, autocratic Venezuela, isolated Cuba etc., and now possibly the ‘Emirate of Islamic Afghanistan’ under the Taliban.

As a non-judgmental pragmatist with deliberately opens doors, desperate dictators in the rogue’s gallery like Hugo Chavez, Muammar Gaddafi, Robert Mugabe, Slobodan Milosevic etc., make a beeline towards China, even as the doors get slammed by the ‘rest of the world’. It is this flexible and easy draw of Beijing that will similarly lead the Taliban in Afghanistan to overcome their reticence, differences and distrust of the Chinese, who are always open to anyone, irrespective of their history or ideological anchorage, as long as they are now able to serve the Chinese Dream.

Co-opting international outcasts does not pose a threat to the one-party rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who perceive liberal democracies to be the biggest existential threat of regime-insecurity ~ as non-interference in the affairs of China, be it on Uyghurs, Hongkong, Tibet and Taiwan is mandated onto its ‘bloc’, and the likes of Imran Khan and Kim Jong Un dutifully oblige. Taliban is positioning itself likewise and will soon be inducted into the hall of infamy, courtesy an ultraflexible China.

(The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd) and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)