Anti-India Haqqanis ask China to take lead in recognising Taliban

The Taliban has reached out to China to take lead in getting international recognition for their government in Afghanistan, to help tide over the economic crisis the war-ravaged country is facing.

ET has learnt that Taliban's outreach to China is being led by the group's pro-Pak and anti-India faction led by the Haqqanis. Beijing, however, has yet to give any commitment.

Taliban’s acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, met with China’s ambassador Wang Yu over the last weekend and asked for China’s support in gaining official recognition, ET has learnt.


“The United States should not seek revenge against Afghans through economic sanctions,” Wang told Haqqani, according to a series of tweets posted by Taliban deputy spokesman Inamullah Samangani, following the meeting.

Wang is understood to have told Haqqani that the US “should not use the issues of inclusive government, human rights and freedom of expression as a tool or pretext” to pressure the Taliban.

According to Samangani, Haqqani, who remains on the FBI’s most wanted list, thanked China for its direct and continued humanitarian assistance to the Taliban government and urged Beijing to “cooperate with Afghanistan in recognising it.” The Haqqanis, who are often guided by Pakistan’s ISI, have been instrumental in orchestrating attacks on Indian interests in the region.

Wang on his part tweeted that China respected the Taliban for pursuing its own government based on cultural and religious values. But he did not make any commitments. Earlier, on December 22, Chinese assistant foreign minister Wu Jianghao noted that terrorist organisations for whom borders and boundaries have no meaning cannot be fought by one country alone, adding that the international community should join hands to combat terrorism.

China, which has been eying Afghanistan's mineral resources for several years, decided to include it in its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese are reportedly worried about Uyghurs from Xinjiang teaming up with the Taliban.

The US, China, Russia and India have not recognised the Taliban regime. Russia and India have called for the installation of an inclusive government in Kabul. Iran and five Central Asian states have also backed the call for an inclusive regime in Afghanistan.

The US has stated that it would expand the ways humanitarian aid groups can help ease a rapidly worsening food crisis. The plan was to directly inject cash into Afghanistan’s economy through some of the humanitarian groups. The UN has made a funding plea for a $5 billion aid for Afghans, many of whom are slipping into poverty. The US had planned to give $308 million in aid to the landlocked country.