Has China formally recognised Taliban govt in Afghanistan?

Sources say China’s move to accept Afghan ambassador a surprise development for many countries, including Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

China on Tuesday became the first country to accept the full-time Afghan Taliban Ambassador in Beijing, in a move tantamount to the formal recognition of the Kabul regime.

When President Xi Jinping accepted the credentials of Taliban Ambassador Bilal Karimi, it was a surprise development for many countries, including Pakistan.

China, though, has not clarified; diplomatic sources and observers believe that its move was a “tacit recognition” of the Afghan Taliban government, which is otherwise struggling to convince even neighbours for recognition, let alone the Western countries.

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Sources said China apparently took a “solo flight” in disregard of the regional countries’ earlier understanding. They said regional countries, particularly the immediate neighbours of Afghanistan, decided that the decision to recognise the Taliban government would be taken with consensus and collectively.

Unlike in the past, Pakistan too went along with regional countries and the international community on the question of recognition.

The international community set certain benchmarks before the Taliban were recognised. Those benchmarks include an inclusive government, permission for girls to go to school, and women to work, and on top of it, no terrorist group would be allowed to operate on Afghan soil.

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There was consensus among the regional countries and the larger international community that the Afghan Taliban have done little to address those concerns.

However, China seems to have taken a more pragmatic stance and is willing to work with the Taliban government despite the international community’s concerns.

The Taliban missed an opportunity to get international recognition in March 2023 when they initially agreed to allow girls' education. But the Taliban backtracked from their promise and imposed a blanket ban on it.

Prospects of their recognition diminished further when tensions erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the lack of action against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

But China’s move at this juncture, when Pakistan wanted to put maximum pressure on the Taliban to tackle the terror threat, was quite telling.

Pakistan was hoping that the Taliban would be made to come good on their promises through collective efforts by the regional countries. China figured prominently in that policy.

Officials in Islamabad feel that China’s near recognition of the Taliban government would only embolden Kabul, making it even harder for Pakistan to get its concerns addressed.

In fact, following the Chinese move, the chief Taliban spokesperson took to X and said: "China has understood what the rest of the world has not.”

"We are not in a unipolar world," Zabihullah Mujahid said while calling on Russia, Iran, and other countries to take similar steps and upgrade bilateral diplomatic relations with Kabul.