Afghanistan

Chinese President accepts credentials from Taliban envoy

BEIJING — The spokesperson for the Taliban’s foreign ministry announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted the credentials of Bilal Karimi, the Taliban’s appointed ambassador to China.

The spokesperson stated that Karimi presented his credentials to the Chinese president in December 2023.

Approximately two months prior, China appointed Zhao Xing as its ambassador to Afghanistan, marking the first country to name an ambassador to Kabul under Taliban rule.

Karimi, who previously served as the deputy spokesman for the Taliban, becomes the first ambassador appointed by the group to a foreign nation.

Despite this diplomatic exchange, the Taliban has yet to receive official recognition from any country.