China is working with Russia, Pakistan, and Iran to keep the United States from regaining control of the Bagram airfield in Afghanistan, according to reports.
The Chinese envoy to Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, met with officials from the three nations on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this week.
Afterward, the group issued a joint declaration urging “respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.”
The statement specifically opposed foreign military bases run by countries they held responsible for Afghanistan’s turmoil, a pointed reference to the U.S.
Despite the language, the four governments did not rule out the possibility of establishing their own presence inside Afghanistan.
Built in the 1950s by the Soviet Union, Bagram became a central hub during Moscow’s occupation in the 1980s.
The U.S. seized control in 2001 following the fall of the Taliban and spent years expanding the installation with extended runways, a prison complex, and modern amenities.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted Joe Biden for abandoning Bagram during the chaotic withdrawal of July 2021.
Speaking in London last week, Trump signaled that his administration was actively pursuing its return.
“One of the biggest airbases in the world, we gave it to them for nothing. We’re trying to get it back, by the way, okay? That could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back,” Trump said.
🚨 @POTUS on Bagram Airfield, which fell to the Taliban in Biden's botched Afghanistan withdrawal:
"We're trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news… It's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons." pic.twitter.com/Lbe9dcnfjS
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 18, 2025
He explained that the Taliban could be leveraged since they require American assistance.
Trump pointed to China’s nuclear activities as another factor, saying, “one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So a lot of things are happening.”
He later warned on Truth Social, “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!”
Military experts note that Lop Nur, an old nuclear test site roughly 1,200 miles from Bagram, is far from China’s modern weapons facilities.
If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!! Trump writes on #TruthSocial pic.twitter.com/U2VtdYMVCo
— Ravinder Singh Robin ਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਰੌਬਿਨ (@rsrobin1) September 20, 2025
Still, the Pentagon has cautioned that Beijing’s arsenal is expanding rapidly, projecting more than 1,000 warheads by 2030.
Aboard Air Force One, Trump described Bagram as “one of the most powerful bases in the world in terms of runway strength and length. You could land anything there.”
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He even suggested negotiations with the Taliban could yield results. Yet within days, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid publicly rejected the idea, invoking the 2020 Doha agreement negotiated under Trump’s first term.
❗️🇦🇫⚔️🇺🇸 – Afghanistan’s Defense Minister, Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, sharply rebuffed former President Trump’s demand for the return of Bagram Air Base, stating: “If you’re unwilling to relinquish control of the bases, we are prepared to fight for another 20 years.”
This… pic.twitter.com/FNBFpeIGQM
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) September 21, 2025
Mujahid wrote that the U.S. had pledged “to refrain from the threat or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence” of Afghanistan.
He warned, “Afghans will never surrender part of their country to another government. If the Trump administration makes a bad move, it will face a bad reaction from us.”
At the U.N. General Assembly, Chinese Premier Li Qiang echoed Xi Jinping’s calls for “global governance” while cautioning against a return to the “law of the jungle.”
Although he avoided mentioning Trump directly, his speech denounced American policies such as tariffs and alliances with ideologically similar nations.
He referenced the wars in Ukraine and Gaza but stayed vague on China’s stance beyond calling for peace.
Li used the platform to promote Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative and claim that “solidarity lifts everyone up while division drags all down.”
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, also targeted Trump’s leadership in a U.S. television interview, accusing Washington of inflaming the Middle East.
“President Trump has said that his administration has come to create peace but the path that they have embarked upon will set fire to the entire region,” he said.
At the General Assembly, Pezeshkian charged that America and Israel had struck “a grievous blow upon international trust and the very prospect of peace.”
He accused the two nations of carrying out aerial strikes against Iranian cities and infrastructure during a 12-day conflict earlier this year.
Reports indicate the clashes included Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities and targeted killings of generals and scientists, with U.S. forces joining by hitting three nuclear sites.
Trump had issued stern warnings at the time, vowing further strikes unless Iran sought peace “quickly.”
In stark contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful message at the U.N., declaring that Iran’s citizens would eventually topple their rulers.
“The long-suffering Iranian people will regain their freedom. They will Make Iran Great Again!” he proclaimed, borrowing Trump’s signature campaign slogan.
Netanyahu predicted the Middle East would soon look “dramatically different” and envisioned Arab and Muslim leaders cooperating with Israel across medicine, agriculture, defense, and technology.
Netanyahu: In the coming years the Mideast will look dramatically different. Many of those who wage war on Israel today will be gone tomorrow. Brave peacemakers will take their place. Above all in Iran, whose long-suffering people will Make Iran Great Again. pic.twitter.com/fz8p1GrcjN
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) September 26, 2025
“Brave peacemakers will take their place,” he said, insisting that history was on Israel’s side.
Netanyahu concluded his remarks by affirming Israel’s strength and determination.
“Two years later, the resolve of Israel and the strength of Israel burn brighter than ever. With God’s help, that strength and that resolve will lead us to a speedy victory and to a brilliant future of prosperity and peace.”