“As a traditional friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community,” foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said.

The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after ousting the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Islamic law.

They have keenly sought official international recognition and investment, as the country recovers from four decades of war, including the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1989.

China does not officially recognise the government but hosts a Taliban ambassador in Beijing.

It has said the Taliban government will need to introduce political reforms, improve security and mend relations with its neighbouring countries before receiving full diplomatic recognition.

But today, Mao said “No matter how the internal or external situation changes in Afghanistan, diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan have never been interrupted.”

“The diplomatic institutions of the two sides in each other’s countries have maintained their normal functioning and have played a positive role in promoting the development of relations between the two countries,” she added.