China may not oppose Taliban’s proposed UN envoy, but concerns remain
- Beijing unlikely to block Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan’s new UN representative, observers say
- However, it is expected to continue to view the new regime cautiously, as it appeals for the Taliban to be inclusive and flush out terrorists
The letter said the Taliban had chosen its spokesman Suhail Shaheen to be its UN representative, and that the current Afghan ambassador to the international body, nominated by the former government, could no longer represent the country, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
China was not likely to oppose the Taliban’s nomination of Shaheen, but would view the matter cautiously, diplomatic observers said.
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Gu Dingguo, a research fellow at East China Normal University who specialises in China’s neighbours, said Beijing had been maintaining diplomatic engagement with the Taliban regime and would not object to its proposed UN appointment.
“Although China has not publicly announced its recognition of the new government, it maintains diplomatic ties with the regime, so China is not likely to oppose the appointment,” he said.
