China fires back, rubbishes Taiwan-Somaliland ties

China has dismissed the newly forged diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Somaliland noting the latter did not have any capacity to make such a move as it is China’s territory.

Reacting to the public statements issued by Taiwan and Somaliland on their engagement, Chinese embassy to Somalia said there is ‘only one China’.

“We will never allow anyone, any organization or any political party to separate any piece of territory from China at any time or in any form. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China,” the embassy said in a series of tweets.

The embassy added, “There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is a part of China and the government of PRC is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.”

Taiwan and Somaliland officials Wednesday announced they had signed a pact to establish diplomatic offices in each other’s territory.

“Our two governments have agreed to swap official representative offices under the titles of Taiwan representative office and Somaliland representative office based on our friendship and shared belief,” Taiwan’s foreign affairs minister Joseph Wu said in a press conference.

Somaliland followed with a tweet hailing the agreement noting it will be instrumental in boosting relations between the two territories which remain unrecognized as states.

“The Government of Somaliland identified issues of mutual concern, including building-bridges of diplomacy; opening missions to boost political and socioeconomic links between the Republic of Somaliland and the Republic of China (Taiwan).”

Both Somaliland and Taiwan have been pursuing statehood but have not been recognized internationally.

Sources said the two sides had signed the agreement in February but only made in public Wednesday in what coincided with July 1 celebrations which marks the union of then Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland to form the Republic of Somalia in 1960.