China becomes first nation to establish diplomatic ties with Taliban

Kabul, Sept 14: China became the first country to formally name a new ambassador to Afghanistan after its envoy presented credentials at a ceremony in Kabul. On Wednesday, Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Sheng, presented his credentials to Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund in the capital Kabul.

 

During the ceremony, the new Chinese envoy expressed his happiness on his new mission in Afghanistan.

 

 

 

“It is a place of honour for me to start my work as the Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan. He also mentioned the virtues of the leadership of the People’s Republic of China. Wishes and greetings were presented to the Prime Minister Alhaji Mulla Mohammad Hassan Akhund.”

 

Sheng also said that China, as a good neighbour, fully respects Afghanistan’s independence, territorial integrity and independence of decisions.

 

"This is the normal rotation of China's ambassador to Afghanistan, and is intended to continue advancing dialogue and cooperation between China and Afghanistan," China's foreign ministry said in a statement. "China's policy towards Afghanistan is clear and consistent."

 

 

 

This development is witnessed as a significant one as the radical organisation the Taliban toppled the civilian government in August 2021 and established its rule in the country and since then the Taliban have not been officially recognised by any foreign government. However, Beijing did not indicate whether Wednesday's appointment signalled any wider steps towards formal recognition of the Taliban.

 

Though China has faced violence by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in recent years, the Taliban have also described China as a “friend” in Afghanistan and gone out of their way to signal that they will not interfere in Beijing's domestic affairs while promising that territory under the Islamist group's control would not be used against other countries.

 

China's previous ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu, took up the role in 2019 and finished his tenure last month. There are other diplomats in Kabul with the title of ambassador, but all of them took up their posts before the Taliban takeover.

 

Other countries and bodies, such as Pakistan and the European Union, have since sent senior diplomats to lead diplomatic missions using the title 'charge d'affaires', which does not require presenting ambassadorial credentials to the host nation. The Taliban entered the capital on Aug. 15, 2021, as the Afghan security forces, set up with years of Western support, disintegrated and U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled.