|
China issues stern warning to Somaliland over Taiwan maritime cooperation deal
[ShabelleMedia] China has issued a strong warning to the self-declared Republic of Somaliland ...Republic of Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as a de jure part of Somalia. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. The capital and largest city is Hargeisa. The government regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which united from 1960 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliadestroyed ninety percent of Hargeisa Per international law, once you're in, you gotta stay in, no matter how bad it smells....following a recent maritime cooperation agreement signed with Taiwan, a move Beijing denounced as a violation of its illusory sovereignty and the "One China" principle. The Chinese embassy in Somalia expressed sharp disapproval after Somaliland’s Foreign Minister, Abdirahman Dahir, visited Taiwan and signed a bilateral deal focused on coasties cooperation. The embassy said the agreement constitutes "a blatant breach of China’s territorial integrity" and undermines its core national interests. "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory — it has never been, and will never be, an independent country," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said in a statement. "Any form of interaction between the Somaliland regional authority and the Taiwan authorities is illegal and will bring no political benefit to Somaliland." The spokesperson added that China "resolutely opposes any external interference" and will take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its illusory sovereignty. The embassy urged Somaliland to reconsider its engagement with Taiwan and align with the international community’s consensus recognizing Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China. Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but lacks international recognition, has steadily strengthened ties with Taiwan since the two sides exchanged representative offices in 2020. Their cooperation spans multiple sectors including healthcare, education, agriculture, digital technology, and resource development. Taiwan has hailed the relationship as a model for democratic partnership in Africa and reaffirmed its commitment to deepening bilateral ties. Taipei has framed the engagement as part of a broader strategy to build alliances with like-minded partners who share democratic values. However, corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds... Beijing’s escalating rhetoric comes at a time of heightened cross-strait tensions, and analysts warn that Somaliland’s growing alignment with Taiwan could draw it deeper into a geopolitical struggle between China and the island democracy. China maintains that Somaliland remains part of Somalia’s sovereign territory and reiterated its support for Somalia’s territorial unity. The warning underscores Beijing’s zero-tolerance stance on any perceived challenges to its claim over Taiwan — a stance that may complicate Somaliland’s ongoing bid for international recognition. Posted by: trailing wife 2025-07-30 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=776461 |