While we continued to fight any and all terrorists in Afghanistan, the Chinese were moving in with mining and infrastructure proposals including new schools et

While we continued to fight any and all terrorists in Afghanistan, the Chinese were moving in with mining and infrastructure proposals including new schools et al. (I don't know how real and undistorted the "schools" part has proven to be.) I recall reading about this already, some years ago. To the extent that reporting was and is accurate, not only were we spending our "blood and treasure" in this war, we were laying the groundwork for Chinese economic and political expansion. Building part of the foundation for the Great Belt, as it were, and as we learn more more fully, now.