China has criticised the US for the hasty end to its two-decade war, warning that Washington will bear responsibility if the turmoil destabilizes the region.

“The United States, which created the Afghan issue in the first place, should act responsibly to ensure a smooth transition in Afghanistan,” said China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi. “It should not simply shift the burden onto others and withdraw from the country with the mess left behind unattended.”

China fears that the breakdown of order in Afghanistan could spill into neighboring countries, including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan. For now, the country has worked to keep channels open with both the Taliban and the Afghan state, but it has not called on President Joe Biden to reverse the withdrawal. When the Taliban governed Afghanistan more than 20 years ago, it gave haven to some Uyghur fighters resisting Chinese rule in Xinjiang. It fears a repeat now.

In a slightly odd parallel, it is the same fear that haunts India. That the US is leaving Afghanistan in a mess, such that New Delhi needs to talk to the Taliban while being worried about its spillover into Kashmir.