Kabul, 15 September 2023 (TDI): The Taliban government of Afghanistan warmly welcomed China’s newly appointed Ambassador to Afghanistan.
China has designated Ambassador Zhao Sheng as its top diplomat in Afghanistan, marking the first significant nation to establish a fully operational diplomatic presence in the country, since the Taliban’s takeover.
This development occurred over two years after the capture of Kabul by the Taliban, resulting in their control over the country.
The nomination of Zhao, the minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan said, was a “significant step with a significant message”.
“Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi assured the new Chinese Ambassador of all kinds of cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Minister called the bilateral relations between Afghanistan and China special”, said the deputy spokesperson of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry.
This marks the first instance where the Taliban has provided an elaborate protocol following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from the country in 2021.
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The chief spokesperson for the Taliban, Zabiulah Mujahid, countered by explaining that it is customary for new ambassadors to present their credentials to the country’s leadership.
“It also signals to other countries to come forward and interact with the Islamic Emirate,” he said.
“We should establish good relations as a result of good interactions and with good relations, we can solve all the problems that are in front of us or coming in the future” he added.
The Chinese Ambassador conveyed the Chinese Foreign Minister’s best wishes to Foreign Minister Muttaqi and expressed his pride in commencing his role as China’s Ambassador in Afghanistan.
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“China respects Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and will never interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs”, said the Chinese Ambassador.
“In the last two years, Afghanistan has made significant economic progress, the security has improved and there has been a good fight against crimes”, he added.
Chinese officials did not release an official statement confirming the establishment of their diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.
However, a statement from China’s embassy in Afghanistan encouraged the international community to continue engaging in dialogue, support the establishment of an inclusive political framework, promote moderate policies, combat terrorism, and foster amicable external relations within the country.
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