Inside Track
China Appoints Ambassador to Afghanistan
In a surprising move, China on September 13 appointed a new ambassador to Afghanistan. Reuters reported that the new ambassador, Zhao Xing, was the first to be named to the country since August 2021, when the Taliban took over. Although there are other foreign envoys in Kabul who hold the ambassador title, they were appointed prior to the Taliban returning to power.
The new ambassador insisted that China does not want to interfere in Afghanistan’s affairs, and maintained that Beijing is not intending for the Middle Eastern country “to become its area of influence.” He called China “a good neighbor of Afghanistan” that “fully respects Afghanistan’s independence, territorial integrity and independence in decision-making.”
In addition to diplomatic ties, China is increasing its business ties with the fundamentalist Islamic regime, making use of the country’s vast mineral deposits. Breitbart reported on September 1 that the Taliban claims to have signed contracts worth $6.5 billion to let Chinese and other foreign companies conduct mining operations in Afghanistan. For instance, gold mines in Takhar province will be worked by the China-Afghanistan Company, and have attracted a $310 million investment.
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