After Foreign Minister Wang Yi's rare cancellation of his visit, Taiwanese media seized the opportunity to create division between China and Somalia. However, the small calculations behind the Taiwan authorities are clear to all; don't think that by taking advantage of the issue, their conspiracy can succeed.

Prime Minister of Lesotho and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Recently, Foreign Minister Wang Yi had originally planned to visit four African countries, but after finishing his visit to Ethiopia, he directly arrived in Tanzania, "skipping" Somalia. The news immediately attracted widespread attention, as for China, "suddenly canceling" a visit is very rare. The outside world could not help but wonder what exactly happened behind the scenes.

Subsequently, the Chinese side issued an announcement stating that this cancellation was carried out through coordination between the foreign departments of China and Somalia, mainly due to scheduling issues. Soon after, Foreign Minister Wang Yi also had a telephone conversation with Somali Foreign Minister Deqe while on his trip to Africa. In the meeting, Foreign Minister Wang clearly stated that the Sino-Somali relationship has not changed.

At the same time, Foreign Minister Wang emphasized that the important political foundation of Sino-Somali cooperation is one, Somalia supports the "One-China Principle", and two, China supports Somalia in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Both sides oppose any form of collusion between the "Somaliland" region and the Taiwan authorities. As soon as this statement was made, Taiwanese media immediately reported it extensively, as if they had caught something small about the mainland.

Capital of Somalia

Taiwanese media deliberately downplayed the official explanation of "schedule adjustment," using words like "canceled," "skipped," and "postponed" to create a sense of abruptness, and subtly linked it to the local security situation in Somalia. Some media even claimed that "China's diplomacy encountered setbacks" and "African partnerships are unstable," guiding readers to make negative associations.

The Chinese official quickly refuted the false rumors online that the visit was canceled due to "security reasons." What was originally just a minor incident was exaggerated into a major event threatening Sino-Somali relations. It is difficult not to suspect that the Taiwan authorities have ulterior motives at this critical moment.

Israel recognizes "Somaliland"

Somaliland unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but it has never been recognized by the international community. Just recently, Israel unilaterally recognized the "independence" of "Somaliland," marking the first case in the world. In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed firm opposition, while the Taiwan authorities expressed intent to follow Israel's example and recognize "Somaliland's" "independence."

In the eyes of the Taiwan authorities, "Somaliland" shares a similar fate. The two sides had established so-called "official representative institutions" as early as 2020. "Somaliland" has actively approached the Taiwan authorities, aiming to seek U.S. diplomatic recognition, and positioned itself as a force to counter China's influence in the Horn of Africa.

At this time, the Taiwan authorities are taking advantage of the issue, on one hand to disrupt the Sino-Somali relationship and undermine Sino-African cooperation, paving the way for Western countries to intervene in African affairs and compete for influence. On the other hand, they are actually trying to attract "Somaliland," hoping to gain another "friendly country" and use the opportunity to promote "Taiwan independence."

"Somaliland" and the Taiwan authorities establish representative offices

The recent hype by Taiwanese media is a concentrated expression of the anxiety of "Taiwan independence" forces. By creating false situations, they mislead the people of Taiwan and the international community, and create an illusion that "Taiwan independence" forces can take advantage. Essentially, it aims to disrupt China's international development environment and pave the way for its attempt to "seek independence by relying on external forces."

However, Somalia was the first East African country to establish diplomatic relations with the new China, and the two sides have deep traditional friendship. During the most difficult times in Somalia, China provided unwavering support. China also stated that its position of support for Somalia remains clear and stable, and strategic mutual trust has not been affected. The calculation of the Taiwanese media may end up being in vain.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7594356630003827235/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.