Afghanistan: as China forges new alliances, a new Great Game has begun A common interest in central Asia over Uighur and Taliban militancy is bringing together Beijing and the United States   by William Dalrymple of The Guardian A Chinese security officer scrutinises pedestrians in Urumqi, the capital of the Uighur autonomous region of Xinjiang. Photograph: Rooney Chen/Reuters As the disappearance of flight MH370 dominated the headlines across China, a party of senior US officials and AfPak experts arrived in Beijing last week for discreet talks with their Chinese counterparts. They were there as part of a little reported but crucial new Sino-American dialogue on Afghanistan, discussing … Continue reading Uighur and Taliban militancy is bringing together Beijing and Washington DC