China expresses support for Somalia following the postponement of a visit by its senior ambassador

Chinese ministry statement said that during a phone conversation with his Somali colleague on Sunday, China’s foreign minister stated that Beijing backed Somalia in preserving its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Speaking over the phone while on a trip to Africa, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China does not support Somaliland’s “collusion with Taiwan authorities to seek independence,” a reference to the breakaway province of Somalia.

The Chinese diplomat’s yearly New Year’s tour of Africa, which also covers Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Lesotho, was supposed to include Somalia. However, the visit to the East African country was delayed because of what the Chinese embassy described as a “schedule change.”