Taliban Appoints Group’s Deputy Spokesperson As Ambassador To China

Sources from the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul confirmed that Bilal Karimi has been appointed as the group's ambassador to China.

Previously, Karimi worked as the deputy spokesperson of the Taliban. The Taliban has not publicly announced the appointment of Karimi as the group’s ambassador to China.

Sources from the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul confirmed to Afghanistan International on Saturday that Bilal Karimi has arrived in Beijing and is set to fill in the position of Taliban’s ambassador.

Bilal Karimi was a member of the Cultural Commission of the Taliban before the group’s takeover of power in August 2021. He was later appointed as the deputy spokesperson of the group.

China has not yet recognised the Taliban government, but has close commercial and political relations with this group.

Earlier, Beijing appointed a new ambassador for Afghanistan who in Kabul, handed over his credentials to Mullah Hassan Akhund, the prime minister of the Taliban.

After the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, China was one of the first countries after Pakistan and Russia to accept Taliban diplomats.