Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, has rejected reports of tensions in relations between the Taliban and China, saying ties between the two sides are progressing. In a newly released audio message broadcast by the Taliban-run National Television on Sunday, November 8, Mujahid said relations between the Taliban and China are advancing and that reports by certain circles about tensions in these ties are 'incorrect', Taneen TV reported.

Source: Taneen TV, Nov 8 2026 — Mujahid: Relations between Taliban and China are on a path of progress

Mujahid said relations between the two sides have strengthened compared with the past and that they maintain good cooperation in the trade sector. Without naming anyone, he said some people are attempting to spread false reports to create concern. The audio message is the Taliban's own statement of its position, reported here as such; China had not publicly responded to either the downgrade report or Mujahid's denial in the reporting available when this story was prepared.

Source: Taneen TV, Nov 8 2026 — Mujahid audio message via Taliban-run National Television

The report being denied

The denial comes days after the intelligence and analytical publication Intelligence Online reported that China had downgraded its diplomatic relations with the Taliban administration. According to that report, amid growing disagreements with the Taliban, China had downgraded the administration's status in its relations to that of an ordinary commercial partner. Sources also told the publication that Russian President Vladimir Putin was considering reversing Moscow's decision to recognize the Taliban, at the request of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that the move was intended to increase pressure on the Taliban. Regional reporting of the same claims was published by the Khyber Chronicles on November 6, which described Beijing as quietly recalibrating its approach towards Kabul — shifting engagement towards trade and commercial interests rather than broader political support — and Russia as considering a possible suspension of its formal recognition. None of these claims has been confirmed by Beijing or Moscow, and no Chinese or Russian official statement announcing a downgrade or a recognition review has been published in the sources checked.

Source: Khyber Chronicles, Nov 6 2026 — China changes course, Russia moves to reconsider recognition of Taliban regime (reporting Intelligence Online)

Why it matters beyond Kabul: Afghanistan sits between Pakistan, China and Central Asia, and the Taliban administration's search for international legitimacy and trade has run mainly through Beijing and Moscow since 2021. A genuine Chinese downgrade — if it were ever confirmed — would be a significant diplomatic setback for Kabul and would be watched closely in Islamabad and New Delhi, both of which have their own fraught channels with the Taliban over militant groups operating from Afghan soil. That is exactly why an unconfirmed report drew a same-week on-record denial from the Taliban's chief spokesperson.

What happens next: the test is whether Beijing or Moscow says anything on the record. A Chinese foreign ministry statement, a change in the level or frequency of Chinese-Taliban meetings, or any Russian statement on recognition would settle whether Sunday's denial closed the story or merely opened it. Until then, the downgrade remains a reported claim and Mujahid's denial remains the Taliban's stated position — Awaaz Punjab will report any official Chinese or Russian response as its own story.