Authorities in Mogadishu had cleared the roads for a historic visit, yet on Friday Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi travelled to Tanzania instead of his planned visit to Somalia.
It would have been the first high-level Chinese mission to Mogadishu in four decades. The last-minute decision not to include the capital on Wang’s itinerary came as Somalia seeks shows of diplomatic support after Israel recognised the breakaway region of Somaliland last month.
A source at the presidential palace told local media the visit was postponed “due to technical issues”, although the Chinese embassy said the detour resulted from a “schedule change and friendly negotiation” between the two foreign ministries.
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At a regular Chinese foreign ministry press briefing on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson said Wang’s Somalia visit had been “rescheduled”.
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How China is reshaping its economic ties with Africa
How China is reshaping its economic ties with Africa
A subsequent video call from Wang to his staff in Mogadishu on Sunday revealed the severe conditions underlying the mission, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.
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