China's Xi Receives Credentials Of Taliban Representative

Initially, Belal Karimi presented his credentials to the Chief of Protocol of the Chinese Foreign Ministry rather than directly to President Xi Jinping.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesperson for the Taliban's Foreign Affairs Ministry, stated in a recent announcement that President Xi Jinping accepted Karimi's credentials during a special ceremony. This ceremony also included the presentation of credentials from ambassadors of 41 other countries.

The Taliban's Foreign Affairs Ministry had previously declared that China recognised Belal Karimi as their ambassador in Beijing.

Prior to the Taliban's ascent to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Belal Karimi served as a member of the group's Cultural Commission and was later appointed as its deputy spokesperson.

More than two years after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, no country has formally recognised the legitimacy of their government.

China was notably the first country to appoint a new ambassador to Afghanistan following the Taliban's rise to power.

Although the Taliban has not been officially recognised by any state, countries such as Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, and China have acknowledged members of the Taliban as diplomats and heads of Afghanistan's political and consular missions. Representatives and ambassadors from these countries are present in Kabul.