China is the first country to officially recognize the Afghan government led by the Taliban. Beijing's approach, which is to exchange ambassadors without formal recognition, allows it to maintain its relations while not fracturing the rest of the world.
Experts on Afghan affairs believe that China has become certain over the past two years that the current Afghan government is committed to the promises it made during its dealings with neighboring countries. The new Afghan ambassador, Mawlawi Bilal Karimi, told Al Jazeera Net, "This is a good step in the framework of relations with China"