Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – A growing rift between the United States and China at the United Nations is escalating into a major diplomatic dispute over who should lead Security Council resolutions on Afghanistan. The debate, which began in late 2024, has intensified under the Trump administration, with Washington resisting Beijing’s push to take over the role of Security Council “penholder” for Afghanistan— a position that allows a country to draft and shape UN mandates.
China’s unprecedented bid comes as Japan’s term as Afghanistan’s penholder ended, with Beijing proposing to co-lead with either Pakistan or South Korea. The US, however, has firmly opposed the move, seeing it as an effort by China to expand its influence and potentially shift UN policies toward the Taliban. The dispute has stalled the renewal of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), with China and Pakistan proposing a simple extension of the mandate, while the US and South Korea introduced a competing draft emphasizing human rights and women’s rights.
The deadlock not only threatens UN engagement in Afghanistan but also reflects deepening Sino-American tensions at the global level. With the Trump administration taking an increasingly confrontational stance on China’s role in multilateral diplomacy, this clash could signal greater turbulence in the Security Council, further complicating international cooperation on Afghanistan and beyond.
