An update on China's role by Raffaello Pantucci (who has affection for the region), which IMHO ends rather optimistically:
China has set itself up to be a major player in Afghanistan’s future and expectations are being raised. It now needs to find ways of asserting itself both politically and economically to play the role that increasingly is being expected of it. Beijing may still shy from such ambitious aims, but at the same time, it is now too late to back away from them. China needs to find its feet and move forward in a more certain manner in Afghanistan.
Link:http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/can-c...n-afghanistan/