14, September, 2023
China has become the first country to name an ambassador to Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
The Taliban said that Zhao Xing's appointment is a sign for other nations to establish ties with its government.
According to analysts, it is part of China's moves to to cement its influence in the region.
Taliban leaders received Mr Zhao at the presidential palace in the capital Kabul on Wednesday in a lavish ceremony.
According to reports, the officials present included acting prime minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund and acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
China's foreign ministry said Beijing will "continue advancing dialogue and cooperation" with Afghanistan and that its policy towards the country is "clear and consistent".
Mr Zhao's appointment is part of a "normal rotation" of Chinese ambassadors to Afghanistan, it added.
He replaces Wang Yu, who finished his tenure as ambassador last month.
Who are the Taliban?
The Taliban has not been formally recognised by any foreign government, but China was among the first countries to engage with them after US-led foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Beijing has significant interests in Afghanistan, which is at the centre of a region that is key to its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
Before the 2021 takeover, Chinese officials held high-level talks with the Taliban and Beijing has previously said that it wants to invest in Afghanistan's natural resources, estimated to be worth $1 trillion. These include extensive copper, lithium and gold deposits.
Some analysts say China's move to name a new ambassador is aimed at shoring up its influence in the region.
"By being the first to name an ambassador post-takeover, China aims to position itself as an influential actor in the region - a possible diplomatic flexing of muscles, especially when many Western countries are still hesitant to engage with the Taliban," said Farwa Aamer, Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute.
But Afghanistan's border with China's restive Xinjiang region poses security concerns. Uyghur militants are based in Afghanistan and they have launched attacks on Chinese projects in the past.
Maintaining diplomatic ties with the Taliban may also help China keep its security challenges in check, Ms Aamer added.
In January this year, the Taliban signed a contract with a Chinese firm in the first major energy extraction agreement with a foreign firm since the Taliban seized power.
Earlier this year, China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan also agreed to extend the Beijing-backed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into Afghanistan, giving it a prominent role in the ambitious initiative.
The leaders of Pakistan and China said at the time that they wanted to help "rebuild" Afghanistan.
The role Afghanistan plays at the Belt and Road Initiative conference this October, and in the broader project going forward, will be watched very closely.
The Taliban government has been criticised for violating human rights in Afghanistan. In particular, the suppression of women's rights under their rule is thought to be among the harshest in the world.