The US President suggested that he was negotiating with the Taliban to take the base again for the US military.
His comments about China will warn Western allies who are closely watching the relationship between the two superpowers.
When he concluded his visit to the UK at a joint press conference with Kiel Starmer at the Checkers on Thursday, the US president said, “It’s one of the largest air force bases in the world. We gave them nothing. We’re trying to get it back.”
“They need things from us so they’re trying to get it back. We want to get that base back. But one of the reasons we want is, as you know, that China is an hour away from where it makes nuclear weapons.”
Trump claimed that his predecessor, Joe Biden, had left other military assets, including American weapons and bases, in the hands of the Taliban, about his turbulent withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
At his first cabinet meeting after reelection in February, Trump said in his previous Afghan withdrawal plan, “We were going to keep Bagram… not for Afghanistan, but for China, as it’s just an hour away from where China makes nuclear missiles.”
He went on to say that Bagram is one of the largest air force bases in the world and one of the largest runways made up of heavy concrete and steel. The airfield has an 11,800-foot (3,600 meters) runway that can provide bombers and large cargo aircraft.
MA/PR