At a press conference in the United Kingdom on Thursday, Donald Trump referred to the Taliban, saying that the U.S. had "given it to them for nothing." He was speaking about the full withdrawal of American forces, formalized in the 2020 agreement during his first term and completed under Joe Biden in 2021.
Back in March, Trump claimed he had intended to keep the Bagram airbase "not because of Afghanistan, but because of China." On Thursday he again stressed the site’s strategic importance, adding that one reason to reclaim it was that "within an hour’s drive from there, China is making its nuclear weapons."
The accuracy of these statements is questionable. In July, a BBC Verify investigation identified only one nuclear test site, some 2,000 kilometers from the base, in northwestern China. Trump has also repeatedly alleged that China had taken over Bagram, located north of Kabul—a claim denied by the Taliban. A BBC review of 30 satellite images from late 2020 to 2025 showed minimal activity at the site after the Taliban’s return and no evidence of a Chinese presence.
On Friday, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry stated that "China respects Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty," adding that "the future of Afghanistan must be in the hands of the Afghan people."
From the Taliban side, Zakar Jalal wrote on X: "Throughout history, Afghans have never accepted foreign military presence, and such a possibility was completely rejected during the Doha talks and agreement. But the doors for other forms of engagement remain open."
Meanwhile, contacts between the U.S. and the Taliban continue. According to Reuters, Saturday’s meeting with the Taliban’s foreign minister focused on the fate of Americans held in Afghanistan. He dismissed the prospect of the U.S. returning to the key airbase after President Donald Trump told reporters he wanted it back under American control.
Zekir Jalal of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said the idea of any U.S. military presence in Afghanistan had been "completely" rejected during negotiations between the sides, before the movement returned to power.
The remarks came after Trump hinted that reclaiming the Bagram base—the hub of NATO forces for two decades—might be possible "because they need us."
The airbase had been handed over to the Afghan army shortly before the Taliban seized control of the country.