US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that China currently occupies the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, a strategic military location that was vacated by American forces in 2021. Speaking at the 2025 National Day of Prayer event at the White House on Thursday, Trump criticized the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw from the base.
Trump stated, “We were going to keep Bagram, the big Air Force base, which is one hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. That’s what they do. They make their nuclear missiles and one hour away from Bagram, and I said you can’t give up Bagram.”
He went on to call the situation “sad” and “crazy,” highlighting the significance of Bagram’s strategic location. “One of the biggest air bases in the world, among the strongest and longest runways anywhere in the world, one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles,” he added.
In his address, Trump blamed the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the loss of the air base, which he referred to as a significant misstep. “You wouldn’t have had the horror show at Afghanistan, which I think is what gave Russian President Vladimir Putin the resolve to go in and do what he did because he looked at how badly we got out,” Trump remarked.
Trump also expressed sorrow over the loss of American soldiers during the withdrawal, saying, “We lost 13 soldiers, and 42 were horribly injured. Nobody ever talks about them, the legs, the arm, the arms, the face. Horribly injured, that would have never happened. Not even possible to have happened, and we would have been out before he was out.”
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, however, has denied Trump’s claims, stating that China does not occupy Bagram.
The debate surrounding the strategic significance of Bagram continues to stir tensions as global geopolitical dynamics evolve.
