【By Observer News, Zhang Jingjuan】Just after the powerful earthquake in Afghanistan, a "battle for influence" without smoke has already started.

Reuters on the 4th cited officials and analysts who said that India is increasing its aid to Afghanistan and branding itself as the "first responder," trying to counter China's efforts to fill the vacuum left by the West.

On November 3rd, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan. According to the Anadolu Agency of Turkey, the earthquake has caused at least 27 deaths and 956 injuries.

Foreign Minister of India Sujan Singh was one of the first officials to call the Afghan Taliban's Foreign Minister Muttaki (Amir Khan Muttaqi) on the day of the earthquake.

According to reports, India has already sent 15 tons of food aid to Afghanistan. In a phone call, Sujan Singh also promised to provide more support, including medical supplies that will arrive soon. He also promoted the hashtag "#IndiaFirstResponder" on the social platform "X."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference that China is also closely monitoring the earthquake situation in Afghanistan, "We express our deep condolences to the victims and extend our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured. We believe that the Afghan people will be able to overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes under the leadership of the Afghan government."

Mao Ning emphasized that China is also willing to provide assistance according to Afghanistan's needs.

Local time on November 3, 2025, a strong earthquake occurred in Samangan and Balkh provinces of Afghanistan. The Afghan Red Crescent rescue and medical teams are carrying out emergency relief work. IC photo

According to Harsh Pant, head of foreign policy at the Observer Research Foundation, India is eager to deepen its engagement with the Taliban.

He analyzed, "Behind India's engagement with Afghanistan is the hope to create some resonance and goodwill among the local population, as a form of soft power. India is unlikely to fill the gap left by Western countries, but if it does not make an effort, China will."

In recent weeks, interactions between India and Afghanistan have indeed shown a "heating up" trend. On October 9th, Muttaki began a six-day visit to India. The next day, India announced the upgrading of bilateral diplomatic relations and the reopening of its embassy in Kabul. The Afghan side also expressed its intention to send diplomats to New Delhi.

India closed its embassy in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over the government in 2021, and opened a technical office in Kabul in 2022 to continue cooperation with the Afghan government in humanitarian aid.

On October 21st, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially upgraded the "technical mission" to an embassy and appointed an acting ambassador. The Afghan side welcomed this on the 22nd.

An Indian official said that the re-opening of the embassy sends a political signal, indicating that India's presence in the region will further strengthen, but this does not mean that India recognizes the Taliban regime.

Additionally, India has also committed to cooperation on hydropower projects and providing support for healthcare and public infrastructure.

The official added that India will provide more aid later.

Notably, during Muttaki's visit to India, the tension between the Taliban and Pakistan over border conflicts worsened. Last week (October 30th), India stated that the United States had granted India a six-month sanctions exemption allowing it to operate the Iranian Chabahar port. This development will promote trade between India and Afghanistan and reduce Kabul's reliance on the Karachi port in Pakistan.

On the other hand, China advocates equal treatment and win-win cooperation among all countries. In August this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Muttaki in Kabul, stating that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan. China supports the Afghan government's policy of focusing on economic development and is willing to work with Afghanistan to carry forward the friendly relationship between China and Afghanistan, deepen political mutual trust, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, agriculture, poverty alleviation, water resources, connectivity, and cultural exchanges, so that the friendship tree between China and Afghanistan continues to grow strong and better benefit the two countries and their people, making new contributions to regional peace, stability, and development.

Muttaki welcomed Wang Yi's visit and thanked China for the valuable support provided to Afghanistan against external interference, and appreciated China's important contributions to maintaining regional peace and development.

Ibraheem Bahiss from the International Crisis Group (ICG) pointed out the current difficult situation in Afghanistan: Affected by unilateral sanctions, the Afghan banking system has been isolated from the international financial system for a long time, lacking normal coordination channels, which makes the flow of aid and development funds more difficult, while the humanitarian needs continue to increase due to population growth and economic stagnation.

Recently, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, pointed out that nearly 23 million Afghans need humanitarian aid, and only 15.7% of the required humanitarian funds have been secured this year. The significant reduction in aid by major donors has severely impacted the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. It is crucial to quickly restore and increase aid to Afghanistan, especially ensuring that humanitarian aid is not politicized or instrumentalized, for the survival and development of the Afghan people. "We call on traditional donors, especially countries that bear historical responsibility for the current situation in Afghanistan, to increase funding investments to help the Afghan people through this difficult time."

This article is an exclusive article by Observer News, and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

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