HARGEISA (Somaliguardian) –Somaliland president Muse Bihi Abdi has rejected meeting with Chinese ambassador of Somalia Qin Jian who has been on an official visit to Hargeisa in the last few days, government officials have confirmed.
The visit of the Chinese ambassador has come after Taiwan forged relations with Somaliland, in a move that eventually led to the exchange of diplomatic missions between the two self-declared nations.
An official at the Somaliland presidency said president Bihi rejected a call by the Chinese ambassador for arranging meeting, expressing anger over the ambassador’s meeting with Somalia’s leaders in which he stated that China was ready to protect the Horn of Africa nation’s sovereignty.
The official speaking to Somaliguardian on the condition of anonymity, added that president Bihi told them that China wants to indirectly play over their heads to “influence them in severing ties with Taiwan”.
China has dispatched another delegation, ordering its ambassador to bide in Hargeisa.
It’s unclear if the Chinese effort to dissuade Somaliland from maintaining ties with Taiwan will gain ground, but its persistence in achieving that result may perhaps go in vein.
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