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The
Taliban have not been officially recognised by any foreign
government. It was not immediately clear if Wednesday's
appointment signalled any steps by Beijing towards formal
recognition of the Taliban.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to request
for comment.
"Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Prime Minister of the Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan, accepted the credentials of Mr Zhao
Xing, the new Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, during a
ceremony," said the Taliban administration's deputy spokesman,
Bilal Karimi, in a statement.
A Taliban administration foreign ministry spokesman confirmed he
was the first ambassador appointed since August 2021 when the
Taliban took over as foreign forces withdrew.
China's previous ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu, took up the
role in 2019 and finished his tenure last month.
Other nations and international delegations, such as Pakistan
and the European Union, have sent senior diplomats to lead
diplomatic missions in Kabul but they have taken on a 'chargee
d'affaires' title, usually meaning they are responsible for
ambassadorial duties but do not formally hold the role of
ambassador.
Some ambassadors appointed during the previous foreign-backed
Afghan government have also stayed in Kabul with the same title.
The Taliban entered the capital on Aug. 15, 2021, as the Afghan
security forces, set up with years of Western support,
disintegrated and U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Mohammad Yunus Yawar;
Additional reporting by Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Nick
Macfie)
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