Why is Trump Pushing to Reclaim Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan?

President Donald Trump has announced that he wants the United States to retake control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, which was abandoned during the chaotic withdrawal of Western forces in 2021.

Located just north of Kabul, Bagram was the largest U.S. military base in the country, operating as the central command center throughout America’s two-decade-long war.

Trump highlighted its massive 3.6-kilometer runway, capable of supporting large bombers and cargo aircraft, as proof of its enduring strategic value.

But unlike before, Trump is arguing that Bagram’s importance lies not in Afghanistan, but in its geographic proximity to China.

He says the base is less than an hour from where Beijing develops nuclear missiles, referencing the Lop Nur nuclear testing facility in Xinjiang.

While the Taliban have denied any Chinese presence at Bagram, and experts note Lop Nur is roughly 2,000 kilometers away, U.S. intelligence assessments show that China has been rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal.

The Pentagon estimates that China’s stockpile reached 600 warheads by mid-2024 — a 20% year-on-year increase — raising serious concerns in Washington.

Trump’s push to reclaim Bagram could mark the first step in a renewed U.S. military footprint in the region, reopening debates about America’s global role and whether re-engagement in Afghanistan is necessary to counter China’s rise.