Commentary
In February, Chinese leader Xi Jinping accepted the credentials of the Taliban ambassador in a move that began the normalization of an oppressive and murderous regime led by a terrorist organization.
During the credential acceptance ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in January, a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spokesperson stated, “
China believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community.”
Although China is the first nation to officially
accept the credentials of the Taliban ambassador, the CCP hasn’t formally declared recognition of the Taliban government’s legitimacy. Nevertheless, the CCP has acknowledged the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as the legitimate successor to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, a position not shared by the United Nations.
The Biden administration had set forth
several conditions for the United States to consider normalizing relations with Afghanistan, such as enhancing human rights, especially women’s rights, eradicating terrorist activity, and embracing a more inclusive governance structure that promotes the participation of ethnic and religious minorities. Beijing and several nations within the CCP orbit did not make similar demands.
Several other nations—including Kazakhstan, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and Turkmenistan—have accredited Taliban appointees as embassy chargés d'affaires. Additionally, the Taliban
has gained control of embassies in Qatar and Malaysia, as well as missions in India and the consulate general in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The greater the recognition the Taliban garners, the more incentive there is for other authoritarian regimes and insurgencies to attempt seizing control of nations and forming their own governments.
Pakistan’s government has faced ongoing threats from terrorists based in Afghanistan. Neighboring countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are concerned about the potential exportation of radical ideas and extremism from a more radicalized Afghanistan, which could destabilize the region.
Downplaying the disastrous impact of his administration’s botched U.S. troop withdrawal, President Joe Biden reassures the world that there is
no al-Qaeda activity in Afghanistan, a claim echoed by the Taliban. However, U.N. monitors have reported that
al-Qaeda leaders currently hold high-level positions in key Afghan ministries. Additionally, there are al-Qaeda members operating training camps, safe houses, and media in multiple provinces across the country. Other terror groups—such as the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—are running training
camps for suicide bombers, which U.S. authorities believe will be unleashed on Pakistan.
The Taliban claims it has all but defeated the ISIS terrorist group in Afghanistan, but outside observers disagree. While the number of attacks committed by the
Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has declined, the Taliban is nevertheless growing and expanding. Besides Pakistan and Afghanistan, ISIS is also
present in India, Bangladesh, Burma (also known as Myanmar), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. In these other nations, ISKP faces pressure from other armed groups, as well as counterterrorism efforts by governments. However, the
threat posed by ISKP to the West and its South Asian partners is growing. Moreover, there is a danger that Afghanistan, under the Taliban, could easily become a hub for global terrorist activity.
Human rights serve as another compelling reason not to legitimize the Taliban. Afghanistan has a deplorable record of torture, extrajudicial killings, repression of ethnic and religious minorities, and other crimes. Furthermore, women under the Taliban have
virtually no rights, including the
right to education.
However, the CCP shows no concern for human rights or the quality of internal governance. It may view a recognized Taliban government as a means to bring stability to a strategically located country along its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as “One Belt, One Road”). Moreover, Afghanistan possesses rich mineral deposits that China might seek to access under a stable Taliban regime.
On Jan. 30, the chief spokesperson for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that “China has understood what the rest of the world has not. We are
not in a unipolar world.” This sentiment aligns perfectly with Xi’s rhetoric in a CCP
statement that reads, “An equal and orderly multipolar world is one in which all countries, regardless of size, are treated as equals.”
In this scenario, every nation would have a say, and China would ostensibly protect the rights of smaller countries to express precisely what the CCP wants them to. In his March 2024 statement on this “multipolar world,” Xi referenced the BRI, stating it was “universally beneficial and inclusive.” However, research has shown that China is the primary beneficiary. The same will be true in Afghanistan.
The increased legitimacy given to the Taliban by a number of Muslim countries adds to the CCP’s coalition building while weakening U.S. influence. In much the same way that countries show which side of the global fence they are on by how much they engage with and support Taiwan, engagement with the Taliban may become an indicator of a country flying in the CCP’s orbit and rejecting the United States.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
