Asian Insider Ep 75: What the US' Afghanistan exit means for Asia's regional powers 

25:33 mins

Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the week's global talking points with expert guests.

What the American failure in Afghanistan, India's unrealised political promises and an emboldened China means for dynamics in Asia?

Nirmal Ghosh chats with two expert guests. Associate Professor Christine Fair is with the Security Studies Program within the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Washington DC.

Prakhar Sharma is a currently New York-based political analyst who has studied Afghanistan for 15 years and lived in the country for several years prior to 2016. 

They discuss the following points:

1. How China & Russia had normalised the Taleban even before the 9/11 attacks (2:30)
2. Why China ignores human rights abuses in favour of a stable Afghanistan under the Taleban (5:50)
3. Pakistan has been a spoiler in Afghanistan's national development (9:19)
4. Why Pakistan will continue to bargain with the US, extracting aid to fight terrorism - and Washington will acquiesce (11:17)
5. What the American failure in Afghanistan, India's unrealised promise, and China's rise means for regional dynamics and relations with the US (18:49)
6. Should friends and allies henceforth doubt the US' staying power? (20:01)

Produced by: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis & Fa'izah Sani

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

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