Taliban grovels to China for help in attaining international recognition; seeks investment

After mounting failed attempts to attain international recognition, the Taliban deputy minister for Information and Culture Zabiullah Mujahid on Sunday requested China to help the interim Afghanistan government to get global acceptance. Speaking at a media briefing on Sunday, Mujahid said that the countries in the world, especially China, must help the caretaker cabinet recieve the due validation, Khaama Press reported.

The repeated appeals to the international community come from the Taliban regime amid the looming resentment against the interim government at home and abroad.

Stressing that relations with China will count as an "achievement" for the Taliban interim cabinet, Mujahid said, "It is one of the most important countries in the world."

The spokesperson's remarks come days after deputy spokesperson for the Taliban-led cabinet Bilal Karimi assured that the Taliban does not want to interfere in internal affairs of other countries, and neither will they allow the vice versa, TOLO News reported.

"We hope all traders, in particular Chinese investors, to invest in Afghanistan will ensure the security," Karimi had tweeted, citing Mujahid.

China can play a "big role" in Afghan development

Earlier in August, the Taliban had appealed international community to recognise its government, even as the group sought to placate China. A spokesperson of the Taliban had then said that Beijing can play a "big role" in the war-torn nation.

"China is a big country with huge economy and capacity. They can play a big role in rebuilding reconstructing of Afghanistan," Shaheen had said, as quoted by PTI.

On December 13, the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan sought good relations with all countries and insisted that it had no particular issue with the United States. In a rare interview with the Associated Press, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi even called on Washington along with other countries to release upward of $10 billion in funds that were frozen when the Taliban reconquered the war-torn nation in August following a chaotic evacuation of the troops and sudden fleeing of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Meanwhile, China has also extended support to Afghanistan, saying it is ready to bolster "friendly and cooperative" relations with the Taliban. 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, in September, had described Afghanistan as a "heroic country", citing former president of China Mao Zedong.

"China and Afghanistan are friendly countries. China does not want to harm Afghanistan, and Afghanistan does not want to harm China. The two countries always supported each other," Webin had said. 

Even after over 100 days in power, Afghanistan under the Taliban has continued to deteriorate in terms of economy and humanitarian conditions, which have been fuelled by harsh winter and drought.

Additionally, the Taliban has also failed to restore basic human, women and child rights, and has not formed an inclusive government despite promising a much moderate regime than its erstwhile rule. Apart from this, the cabinet has also failed to sever ties and eliminate terrorist haven, which was among the preconditions for the recognition set by the international community.

(With inputs from PTI)

(Image: AP)