China to appoint ambassador to Taliban administration in Afghanistan
China became the first country to appoint an ambassador to Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Xing said his country did not want to establish influence in Afghanistan.
For the first time since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, a country has appointed an ambassador to Afghanistan. Taliban Deputy Spokesperson Bilal Karimi stated that the Prime Minister of the Taliban interim government, Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, accepted the letter of credence of Chinese Ambassador Zhao Xing at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in the capital Kabul.
XI JINPING SENDS HIS GREETINGS
Zhao, who made a statement at the ceremony where Deputy Foreign Minister Amirhan Muttaki was also present, expressed his satisfaction with being appointed as ambassador to Afghanistan and conveyed the greetings of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Stating that China is a good neighbor of Afghanistan and respects the country's independence and territorial integrity, Zhao stressed that the Chinese leadership has no policy of interfering in Afghanistan's internal affairs and does not want to establish influence in the country.
Emphasizing that great progress has been made in the cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economy and security, as well as in the fight against corruption, crime, and drugs in the last two years, Zhao said that he will try to strengthen cooperation between Afghanistan and China in other fields.
‘BEGINNING OF NEW ERA’
Taliban leader Mullah Hassan Akhund thanked the Chinese government for the appointment of an ambassador to the country and expressed his hope that this appointment would bring diplomatic relations to a high level and mark the beginning of a new era between the two countries. Stating that he attaches importance to the relations between Afghanistan and China, Ahund pointed to the developments in the relations between the two countries in the last two years and emphasized that he hopes more steps will be taken to strengthen the relations.
In the statement made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, it was noted that the appointment was a normal appointment and aimed to advance the dialogue and cooperation between the two countries. "China's policy towards Afghanistan is clear and consistent," the ministry said.
While the Taliban administration is not officially recognized by any country, no statement was made by China regarding the official recognition of the administration with the decision to appoint a new ambassador.
The term of office of former Chinese Ambassador to Kabul Wang Yu, who took office in 2019, ended last month.
While ambassadors appointed before the Taliban rule in Afghanistan continued their duties, no country had appointed an ambassador to the country after the Taliban seized power.
Source: Ihlas News Agency
