KABUL: In a historic move, a new Chinese ambassador presented his credentials to the Taliban’s Prime Minister in Kabul on Wednesday, marking the first appointment of a foreign envoy at the ambassadorial level since the Taliban assumed power in 2021.
Despite the absence of official recognition from any foreign government, the appointment of Mr. Zhao Xing as the new Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan has raised questions about whether Beijing is inching towards formal recognition of the Taliban. China’s foreign ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
In an official statement, Bilal Karimi, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban administration, announced, “Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, accepted the credentials of Mr. Zhao Xing, the new Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, during a ceremony.”
This development marks the first ambassadorial appointment since August 2021, when the Taliban took control of the country as foreign forces withdrew. Wang Yu, China’s previous ambassador to Afghanistan, completed his tenure last month.
While other nations and international delegations, including Pakistan and the European Union, have sent senior diplomats to lead diplomatic missions in Kabul, they have been designated as ‘chargee d’affaires,’ implying responsibility for ambassadorial duties without formally holding the title of ambassador. Several ambassadors who served during the previous foreign-backed Afghan government have also continued to stay in Kabul with the same title.
The fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, marked a turning point as Afghan security forces, which had been supported by Western nations for years, disintegrated, and President Ashraf Ghani, backed by the United States, fled the country. The international community continues to observe developments in Afghanistan closely as diplomatic relations evolve in this dynamic region.
