"What Englishness can't do that Britishness can do is appeal unambiguously to people of different ethnic origins, " notes Janan Ganesh, political correspondent for The Economist.
Janan Dawar, an eyewitness who lives about 14km (nine miles) away from the checkpoint, said he had heard a huge explosion and had seen flames leap into the air.
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai says there has been a greater sharing of intelligence between his country and China, and a joint U.S.-Chinese program to mentor junior Afghan diplomats.