Chinese President Xi Jinping received on Tuesday, January 30, the credentials of the Afghan ambassador, Mawlawi Asadullah Bilal Karimi. The new Afghan ambassador to Beijing was posted to the highest diplomatic position by the interim Taliban administration last November.
Ambassador Karimi was one of 41 ambassadors who presented their credentials during a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, but no UN member states have recognized the interim administration, which faces criticism for restricting women’s rights. While China’s recognition marks a significant step, it remains an isolated one. President
Xi Jinping thus became the first head of state to officially receive an ambassador appointed by the Taliban. Moreover, last September, China became the first country to appoint an ambassador to Kabul under Taliban rule. Other countries either retained their previous ambassadors or appointed the heads of the embassies in the capacity of chargé d’affaires ad interim, which doesn’t require presenting the credentials to the host government.
The U.S. and other Western countries moved their embassies to Qatar, while around 20 diplomatic missions are continuously operating in Kabul.
China has maintained good relations with Afghanistan and is considered one of Kabul’s biggest trading partners. Chinese state-owned companies are discussing the involvement of Chinese companies in investment and reconstruction projects.
According to some observers, the recognition of the Taliban administration has a security dimension for China in addition to economic ones. Afghanistan has a 90-km border with China and poses a security challenge to the neighboring region.
