A joint statement from China and Djibouti backed Somalia’s territorial claim over Somaliland and rejected diplomatic recognition for the breakaway region after their foreign ministers met in Beijing this week.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Djibouti Foreign Minister Abdoulkader Houssein Omar in Beijing before the statement was issued. The statement said both governments would support Somalia’s defense of its sovereignty and borders and oppose efforts to win recognition for Somaliland as a separate state.
The joint statement also rejected what it termed “any form of collusion” involving Somaliland and Taiwan authorities.
Somaliland declared independence in 1991, a move Somalia rejects as it continues to claim the territory.
The ministers also addressed shipping risks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Wang said Middle East hostilities posed new risks to traffic through the region, according to EconoTimes’ earlier report on his warning.
