The fall of Kabul to the Taliban is an event that is widely considered a game-changer for the geopolitical balance of powers in South Asia, and one that impacts all neighboring countries. The Taliban’s victory is often viewed as a win for China, Washington’s chief geopolitical competitor, as Beijing has long resented the presence of US troops in what it considers its own backyard.
 

However, China also has cause for concern about the reality that will emerge in Afghanistan in the days after the Taliban takeover. Beijing is worried about any instability and political violence that might develop in the country and the impact of such instability on China’s neighboring countries such as Pakistan and the Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects in Afghanistan.     
 

From September 12 to September 14, 2021, Wikistrat ran an online simulation with a crowd of China and South Asia experts to explore what actions China might take in Afghanistan and South Asia in response to the rise of the Taliban’s new regime in Afghanistan.