China is strengthening ties with the Taliban
China is strengthening ties with the Taliban, Xi Jinping received credentials from Taliban-appointed ambassador Bilal Karimi on January 30. Before that, China became the first country to officially appoint a new ambassador to Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power .
President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping received credentials from the new ambassador of Afghanistan to China, Bilal Karimi , among the ambassadors of 42 countries, at a solemn ceremony held in Beijing on January 30.
Bilal Karimi previously worked as the deputy press secretary of the Taliban government , and after the Taliban seized power, he became an ambassador.
In his speech after the ceremony , Xi Jinping emphasized China's readiness to deepen friendly relations and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. He also noted that today's world is not without difficulties and is not completely peaceful.
Earlier, China became the first country to officially appoint a new ambassador to Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power. In September, Zhao Sheng presented his credentials to Afghanistan's de facto head of government, Mohammad Hasan Akhund, in Kabul. However, Chinese officials have not confirmed that this is a sign of official recognition of the Taliban government.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously explained that Zhao Sheng's appointment is a standard rotation of the ambassador to Afghanistan aimed at promoting dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
At the same time, the Taliban announced that they are holding negotiations with Russia on the recognition of their government, and expressed the need for diplomatic relations for future cooperation.
