BEIJING: China said on Wednesday it is ready to maintain communication with the leaders of the new Taliban government in Afghanistan, calling its establishment a "necessary step" in reconstruction.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the comment at a daily briefing in Beijing when asked if China would recognise the new government, whose leaders were named on Tuesday.
The Taliban drew from its inner high echelons to fill top posts in Afghanistan's new government, including an associate of the militant group's founder as premier and a wanted man on a US terrorism list as interior minister.
China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, Wang said.
After the Taliban took power in August, China had called for an "open and inclusive" government to be established.
"We hope the new Afghanistan authorities will listen broadly to people of all races and factions, so as to meet the aspirations of its own peoples and the expectations of the international community," said Wang.
China says Afghanistan has 'turned new page' after US withdrawal
China had earlier stated the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year conflict signalled the country has "turned a new page", after Beijing criticised Washington's chaotic exit.
China has repeatedly slammed what it sees as a hasty and ill-planned US withdrawal and has said it is ready to deepen "friendly and cooperative" relations with the Taliban following their takeover.
For Beijing, a stable and cooperative administration in Kabul would pave the way for an expansion of its overseas infrastructure drive, analysts say.
The Taliban meanwhile may consider China a crucial source of investment and economic support.
Chinese companies have also been eyeing Afghanistan's vast copper and lithium mines but experts say the perilous security situation means any immediate commodities rush by investors is unlikely.
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