Well that is one advantage the Chinese also have. They are ruthless enough to either work with them or wipe them from existence.

> They are ruthless enough to either work with them or wipe them from existence.

Were the Soveits/Russians more or less than the Chinese? Were the British in the late 1800s? Alexander the Great?

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herat_Citadel

It was tail end of Soviet Union and at the time Gorbachev was too wimp to shut down protests inside USSR much less being ruthless anywhere.

Something like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportation_of_the_Chechens_an... was very doable to do in Afghanistan before recent population explosion and could have pacified the country. Obviously impractical with modern sensibilities and current Afghan population size.

What can work to bring country together is ruthless dictator with Stalin, Mao or Ho Chi Min determination. US university professor as president is exactly the wrong person to lead Afghanistan at this moment. If current government falls, Taliban can bring somebody reasonable as head of state and country will evolve to something like Iran. Could be good for everyone involved from Afghan population to other countries.

The chinese also have an advantage in that there is no reason for particular islamic solidarity movements that lean violent to target them with terrorist attacks.

Why does the situation with the Uighurs not count as a reason?