MOGADISHU, Somalia — China’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, is expected to visit Mogadishu in the coming days, officials said.
The delegation will meet with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his prime minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, marking the first international visit to the Somali capital since Israel recognized Somaliland, a breakaway region in northern Somalia.
Wang will be the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Mogadishu since the country’s revolutionary government era.
China’s ambassador to Mogadishu, Wang Yu, said Somalia has expressed full confidence in China, echoing recent remarks by Mohamud about boosting ties with Beijing.
China is among many countries that condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, calling the move a violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity.
The Foreign Ministry warned against “any country instigating or supporting secessionist groups” to pursue narrow interests.
“China firmly supports the independence, unity and territorial integrity of Somalia and opposes any action that divides Somali territory,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
He called on Somaliland authorities to “acknowledge reality and immediately halt secessionist activities and foreign ties.”
China could use its influence in the U.N. Security Council to block any formal recognition of Somaliland, Eritrea said in a statement Sunday, calling Israel’s move a “long-standing plot to destabilize the region.”
Eritrea, a close ally of Somalia, also said China has a moral responsibility to act, drawing parallels to Taiwan.
Somaliland declared independence in 1991, but few countries have recognized it. Israel is the first country to officially recognize the region.