East Africa’s Somaliland representative office in Taiwan opened its doors in Taipei on Wednesday (September 9). Somaliland gained independence in 1991 from Somalia, which was then embroiled in a clan-based civil war.
However, Somaliland is currently only recognized internationally as an autonomous region of Somalia, and no country, including China, has official relations with Somaliland.
Mohamed Hagi, the representative of Somaliland’s representative office in Taiwan, said that day that trade, security and development cooperation are key dimensions of “this very special relationship” between Somaliland and Taiwan.
Hagi said that the relationship between Taiwan and Somaliland is based on the shared values of freedom and democracy and mutual assistance.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Wu Zhao-sheep said both Taiwan and Somaliland face external pressure, but we are “proud of our sovereignty and ready to defend it.
Taiwan previously opened a representative office in Somaliland on August 17.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokeswoman Hsieh Pei-fen said in a statement Wednesday that the establishment of the Taiwan-Somaliland representative office is a concrete demonstration of good relations between the two sides and a new chapter in Taiwan’s diplomacy.
She said that Taiwan and Somaliland have had exchanges and cooperation in the areas of health care, education and maritime security since 2009. She said the DPP is looking forward to developing closer cooperation and economic and trade relations with Somaliland in the future, and to safeguarding the common values of freedom and democracy.
After Taiwan and Somaliland announced an agreement to exchange offices in July, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused Taiwan of “undermining Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and said that China strongly opposes the establishment of official institutions or any form of official exchanges between Taiwan and Somaliland.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to achieve “reunification of the motherland,” using force if necessary. Taiwan denies that it is part of the People’s Republic of China, and Taiwan maintains that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, which is both a fact and a status quo.
Since Tsai Ing-wen became president in 2016, as many as seven countries have severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan due to Chinese pressure, and Taiwan currently maintains diplomatic relations with only 15 countries, mostly small Central and South American countries and Asia-Pacific island nations.
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