China and the Taliban have firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to reclaim Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base, calling it a destabilising move in an already fragile region.

The sprawling Bagram facility, once America’s largest military installation in Afghanistan, was abandoned in 2021 during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal under President Joe Biden, immediately taken over by Taliban forces.

At a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump argued the U.S. should regain control of Bagram due to its "strategic proximity" to Chinese nuclear weapon sites, saying Washington needed to reassert its footprint near China's western frontier.

His remarks quickly drew pushback both from Kabul and from Beijing, underlining the geopolitical complexities around Afghanistan’s military geography.

Taliban spokesman Zakir Jalal dismissed Trump’s suggestion outright, declaring that Afghans had never accepted foreign military bases in their homeland and that this condition was explicitly closed during the Doha agreement that ended America’s 20-year presence.

He emphasised, however, that while Kabul rejected military reoccupation, it remained open to political and economic engagement with Washington on the basis of mutual respect, effectively ruling out any revival of U.S. military leverage inside Afghanistan.

China’s Foreign Ministry echoed the rebuke, with spokesperson Lin Jian stressing Beijing’s opposition to efforts that “stir up tension and confrontation” near its borders. He underscored China’s recognition of Afghan sovereignty and repeated calls for regional actors to play a constructive role in maintaining stability.

Beijing’s statement was notable against the backdrop of deepening Chinese investments in Taliban-administered Afghanistan, including a copper mine revival and oil extraction deals that position China as a critical economic partner.

Since formally establishing diplomatic ties with Taliban authorities soon after the 2021 takeover, China has sought to secure both its western sphere of influence and Xinjiang frontier while preventing Afghanistan from becoming a hub for foreign interference.

The rejection also reflects Beijing’s sensitivity to U.S. moves that could reshape military balances near its borderlands, particularly in light of Trump’s blunt reference to Chinese nuclear facilities.

Trump’s proposal thus intersects three strategic fault lines: Afghanistan’s sovereign resistance to renewed foreign military bases, China’s protective stance over its western periphery, and Washington’s search to reinsert leverage after an exit widely seen as botched.

While the Taliban signalled doors remain open to trade and diplomacy, both Kabul and Beijing closed ranks on denying any U.S. military presence, highlighting Afghanistan’s evolving role as a geopolitical buffer zone between great powers.

Trump’s insistence on regaining Bagram underscores continuing American anxieties about China’s rise and nuclear posture, but the coordinated pushback suggests Washington faces narrowing options for physical re-entry into Afghanistan’s strategic heartland.

Based On PTI Report