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Wednesday, February 18, 2026
TopicChina-Afghanistan

Topic: China-Afghanistan

India needn’t recognise Taliban but it shouldn’t let China keep Afghanistan away from it either

Seshadri Chari -
It would be in the best interest of New Delhi and Kabul to maintain a minimal staff presence in their embassies and allow bilateral trade.

Taliban’s central bank governor and Chinese ambassador meet to discuss banking and business ties

Charlotte Greenfield -
China does not have formal diplomatic ties with Afghanistan but has continued to maintain an embassy in Kabul since Taliban took over in 2021.

China is overcoming security fears to connect with Taliban. It will keep LAC dispute alive

Aadil Brar -
Beijing’s plan to connect CPEC with Afghanistan will bring more Chinese security forces to the Khunjerab Pass in the Pamir Knot–shrinking India’s strategic space in South Asia.

3 fears emerged when Kabul fell. A year later, none of them have come true

+TFP Praveen Swami -
Like the US and Soviet Union before it, China is discovering the grand plans of Great Powers don’t survive contact with the realities in Afghanistan.

On Camera

YourTurn

Opinion

Imagine if Epstein files named Rahul Gandhi or MK Stalin. What would BJP and TV media do?

Sagarika Ghose -
The questions are not going to go away. But future generations will know who refused to ask the tough questions and who didn’t.

Has Modi forgotten India’s farmers? India-US trade deal hurts Atmanirbharta for pulses

Marco Rubio at Munich was wrong. Civilisations don’t determine foreign policies

Economy

Tamil Nadu FM presents interim budget, attacks Centre for ‘artificially inflating’ state’s debt

Subatra AL -
DMK govt accuses Centre of withholding funds, tightening borrowing, unilateral deductions from state accounts. Says Centre's accounting & funding decisions have 'artificially inflated' debt burden.

Defence

US military commander, envoy Sergio Gor visit Indian Army Western Command, Bengaluru next

Snehesh Alex Philip -
At the Western Army Command, the American delegation was briefed on the capabilities of the formation, past operations and the path ahead.

National Interest

The new Great Game—Trump’s playing for time, China for leverage & India for wiggle room

Shekhar Gupta -
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.

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