China Not To Follow Russia's Lead Or Rush To Recognize Taliban Government, Expert Says

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) This view was expressed in a comment to Ukrinform by Wang Yiwei, Director of the Institute of International Affairs at Beijing's Renmin University.

“China will not officially announce recognition of the Taliban government until there is consensus on this issue within the United Nations,” Wang said in response to a question from Ukrinform's correspondent in China about whether Beijing would be expected to take a similar step after Moscow's announcement recognizing the Taliban.

At the same time, the expert noted that last year China sent a new ambassador to Kabul, becoming the first Chinese diplomatic envoy in Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in 2021.

“In Afghanistan, China is primarily concerned about countering terrorist threats, so the Chinese government needs constant contact with the Afghan authorities to respond promptly to any dangers,” the specialist explained.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also commented on Russia's step toward the Taliban:“We welcome the new development in relations between Russia and the interim government of Afghanistan,” said ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a briefing.

She added that regardless of changes in the internal and external situation surrounding the neighboring country, diplomatic ties between China and Afghanistan have never been interrupted.

“Since the establishment of the interim Afghan government, both sides have maintained normal operations of diplomatic missions in each other's countries and have promoted the development of bilateral relations. China will remain committed to a foreign policy of friendship toward all Afghan people and will support exchanges and cooperation with Afghanistan in various fields,” the diplomat emphasized.

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China shares a state border with Afghanistan that is only slightly over 90 kilometers long. It runs through a sparsely populated area in the Pamir mountain range and crosses several mountain passes. The difficult natural conditions create major challenges for border security but are exploited by criminals for drug smuggling and other illicit activities, which concerns the Chinese authorities.

As Ukrinform reported, Russia was the first country in the world to officially recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led by the Islamist Taliban movement.

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