On 30 January, 2024, President Xi Jinping provided further
evidence that China formally recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate
government of Afghanistan. China’s recognition of the Taliban is its latest and
most outrageous slap to the face of the so called democracies, led by United
States, who have not recognized Taliban government as yet.
The opponents of Afghanistan have immediately termed this a
dangerous international precedent and a morally moribund approach to
international relations which puts selfish resource security concerns firmly
ahead of human rights and global wellbeing as China’s primary philosophical
approach to international affairs.
They say the event is representative of the fundamental
reason strategic competition with China is so important. When distilled to its
purist form, it is a protracted attritional duel between liberal democracy and
authoritarian socialism that is quickly devolving into a slap fight.
It is alleged that prior to the Taliban’s resurgence, China
maintained a cooperative relationship with the Afghan government, which
included security collaboration against Uyghur militants.
They also say, following the Taliban’s takeover, China
initiated engagement with the new regime, aiming to prevent terrorism from
affecting its regional interests and to secure its investments, including those
related to the Belt and Road Initiative.
The ethical dimensions of China’s interactions with the
Taliban are seemingly complex, even on the surface. On one hand, China’s
engagement is driven by security concerns and economic interests, particularly
in mining and infrastructure. On the other hand, the Taliban’s lack
of international recognition and domestic legitimacy raises questions about
the long-term viability of these agreements.
China’s promise of economic and development support to the
Taliban, in exchange for security assurances, reflects a strategic approach
that prioritizes resource stability and the suppression of Uyghur militancy.
This is consistent with the broader narrative that China’s
rise should not be feared, rather it should be welcomed as a blessing for
global development and prosperity. In this regard, China’s policy towards
Afghanistan could be described as clear and consistent with its approach to any
country, emphasising non-interference and respect for sovereignty.
Critics of Taliban say, the practical aspects of its
engagement with the Taliban present a moral quandary that is an affront to the
global norms for free societies. The Taliban’s abuses of human rights are well
recorded. Their suppression of women and girls, assault on freedom of speech,
extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture neatly reflect the
same accusations levelled against China.
They say, it makes sense that China has added the Taliban to
its collection of thugs, villains, and reprobates which are considered
its closest allies.
President Xi receiving the credentials of the Taliban
Ambassador to Beijing could, perhaps, be perceived as an arcane diplomatic
tradition. The reality, however, is that in doing so the Chinese government has
provided tacit recognition of the Taliban as the official government of
Afghanistan.
This has dreadful implications for the women, children,
resistance fighters, and civil society activists who have all been brave enough
to stay or unable to leave and who should all be afforded the same freedoms as
me. It also sets the preconditions for the Chinese to pull levers of influence
to broaden official recognition; levers established through debt dependencies
that compromise the sovereign decision-making capacity of beholden nations. It
is an anathema to how democracies want to act domestically and internationally.
There is an additional, not-so-hidden subtext at this stage
of the slap fight between liberal democracy and autocratic socialism. China has
taken a clumsy swing at the face of every country that tried and failed to
bring sustainable democracy to Afghanistan for 20 years, and who dramatically
left in ignominy just over two years ago. Sadly, it has landed as a low blow that
could have dangerous consequences.