China mocks US defeat in Afghanistan and posts video believed to show Taliban fighters using planes as ‘swings and toys’
- Lijian Zhao mocked the United States following their withdrawal from Kabul
- He posted a video of Taliban members using military aircraft as swings
- US forces destroyed many of the Afghan Air Force’s aircraft ahead of withdrawal
- Mocking the US Zhao said: ‘Taliban have turned their planes into swings and toys’
A senior Chinese government official has mocked the United States after members of the Taliban were filmed swinging from abandoned military aircraft.
Lijian Zhao, a senior official in the Chinese foreign ministry, mocked the United States in a tweet which has been viewed more than 70,000 times.
Zhao wrote: ‘The graveyard of EMPIRES and their WAR MACHINES. Talibans have turned their planes into swings and toys.’
Lijian Zhao, a senior official in the Chinese foreign ministry, mocked the United States in a tweet which has been viewed more than 70,000 times
Zhao said: ”The graveyard of EMPIRES and their WAR MACHINES. Talibans have turned their planes into swings and toys’
Lijian Zhao, pictured, is a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. He posted footage of the Taliban playing on the abandoned military aircraft
Zhao left the mocking message on Twitter along with the video of the Taliban playing games
The footage shows members of the Taliban swinging from the wings of abandoned military aircraft.
In the weeks before the US withdrawal, the Afghan Air Force was operating 167 aircraft, including 108 helicopters and 59 aircraft.
Some 46 aircraft including 24 helicopters were flown to Uzbekistan before the Taliban takeover.
Commander of the US evacuation mission, General Frank McKenzie said his troops disabled 73 aircraft before pulling out of the country last month.
The troops destroyed avionics, removed propellers and guns from planes and helicopters. Others had their wheels stripped away leaving them sitting on the tarmac.
It is believed the Taliban has a total of 48 aircraft, though it is not known whether this equipment is airworthy or how long they will be able to keep them operational.
Many were built in the 1980s and will need constant servicing and parts to make sure they are airworthy, let alone capable of combat.
Many of the aircraft left behind by the United States are no longer airworthy