China makes big move in Afghanistan as Xi Jinping accepts credentials of Afghan Taliban envoy

China took a big step on Tuesday, accepting the credentials of the envoy to Beijing from Afghanistan, which is governed by the Taliban. President Xi Jinping received the credentials of the Afghan ambassador in an official ceremony.

The Chinese president was also given the credentials by ambassadors from forty-one other nations during the same ceremony. Xi welcomed Bilal Karimi as an ambassador to China and accepted his credentials as ambassador and special representative.

Karimi met Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, while serving as ambassador to China in December 2023. Afghanistan has joined China as an associate following this event.

China has repeatedly declared that it respects Afghanistan’s national sovereignty and its choices. Additionally, it has declared that it does not meddle in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs.

Contracts for mining are already managed by China in Afghanistan. Additionally, it had nominated a full-time ambassador to Kabul, who gave Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhud his diplomatic credentials.

China did this in order to become the first nation to designate a permanent ambassador to Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. It was an indication that China is prepared to expand the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) into Afghanistan and make significant investments.

China, however, had stated that prior to complete diplomatic relations, the Afghan Taliban must undergo reform last year. It had stated that in order to obtain full diplomatic recognition, the government would need to enact political changes, enhance security, and repair ties with its neighbors. Both nations were continuing their diplomatic relations and hosting each other’s diplomats at the same time.

Additionally, it had stated that while Afghanistan shouldn’t be kept out of the international community, the Taliban needed to live up to the expectations of the outside world.

Since taking control with the disorderly withdrawal of US forces in August 2021, the Taliban government has not received formal recognition from any nation. China has agreed to provide Afghanistan’s new leaders with guarantees that the nation won’t be used as a base for insurgents.

(With agency inputs)