Taiwan and Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland will establish representative offices in each other’s capitals, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said on Wednesday, a step guaranteed to anger Beijing.
Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with just 15 countries because of pressure from China, which considers the island to be its territory with no right to state-to-state ties. In Africa, only tiny eSwatini maintains full ties with Taiwan.
Taiwan signed the agreement with Somaliland, located on the Horn of Africa, in February, but had not made it public.
On Wednesday, Somaliland President Musa Bihi Abdi tweeted: “The bilateral relationship of Somaliland and Taiwan is built upon shared values & mutual respect,” adding that Somaliland would soon open an office in Taiwan.
Wu said Taiwan’s contacts with Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 but is recognised internationally only as an autonomous region of Somalia, dated back to 2009.
He told reporters in Taipei that eight other nations or international bodies had representative offices in Somaliland, including Ethiopia.
“I think what we are doing is not much different from other countries,” Wu said. “In essence, Somaliland is an independent country.”
China’s influence is not far away, though, as it maintains its first ever overseas military base in neighbouring Djibouti.
International military forces, including those from China, patrol the waters around Somalia on anti-piracy missions.
China and Taiwan have traded accusations for years of using loans and aid to gain international recognition.
“We will not stop doing what we should be doing because of Chinese pressure,” Wu said. He did not offer details of any aid Taiwan may prSovide to Somaliland, but said it was rich in energy resources and fishing grounds.
China is a major economic player in Africa, lending billions of dollars and drawing complaints from the United States in particular of waging debt diplomacy. Beijing denies the accusations.
By Ben Blanchard
Source: Reuters
AFRICA HAS TO TURN TOWARDS PRC !
This is the Time for the China-Africa Revolution – with these 9 steps – in light of the COVID DOOM in the world
The USA and Russia do not have Africa,on their Radar – no time and no funds.The EU has no cash,and PRC has recovered from COVID,and has abundant cash.This is the time for the China-Africa Reinassance.The aim has to be to control Africa trade and finance, and thus,the shipping routes and the Horn of Africa.If some Indian clown chokes Malacca,PRC can choke The Horn of Africa. Simple !
COVID has made manufacturing obsolete in EU,and PRC has to lower its cost of production.The Solution is to shift PRC manufacturing to Africa,with a mix of Chinese and African staff,to avail of LDC benefits, to export to EU and PRC.Exports from Africa to EU,will be HAVE MUCH LOWER COST OF PRODUCTION, AND ALSO, VERY LOW FREIGHT COSTS, AND WILL BE ENTITLED TO EU GRANTS,SUBSIDIES AND SOFT LOANS. This will WIPE OUT ALL the EXPORTS FROM INDIA,TO THE EU.India has neither the funds nor the resolve and intellect,to replicate the abovesaid model. dindooohindoo
PRC companies in the mainland,can go up the value chain of manufacturing, with AI and Robotics,and outsource all “other manufacturing” to Africa,in Chinese companies,who have JVs with Africans. These companies will be funded by Chinese Banks,and their banking gains in Africa,will offset the NPAs of Chinese Banks,in the PRC.In the 1st step, the manufacturing in Africa,is for PRC,and then the same factory,is to be used ,for exports to EU,with LDC gains.
Each African nation has 1 VOTE IN THE UN,and ROTATE SEATS ON THE UNHRC – and will be a strategic counter, to the USA and the Indians.
PRC also has to ramp Defense exports to the African region,via JVs with Pakistani Ordinance factories – again to wipe out the Indian Defense exports – which are in any case,pure trash.With Chinese technology in African defense,it will become an extension of the PLA.
The African Banking sector is bankrupt,and the Insurance companies are costly and expensive.This is the time,for the Chinese to swoop in,and also,INCLUDE MICRO CREDIT AND HEALTH INSURANCE.Africans have a natural immunity to diseases – and universal health care in Africa – with funding from WB,IMF and WHO and EU,could be the game changer for PRC, alongwith Micro Credit – which will connect PRC,with the African populace.
The Chinese have NOT invested in AFRICAN EDUCATION.PRC has to invest in HIGHER AND SPECIALISED EDUCATION,AND NOT PRIMARY EDUCATION.The strategy is akin to the methods used by the Americans and The EU,who brainwash the overseas students in their universities -who are studying free of cost.These students will 1 day,be the political leaders of Africa.
The Chinese has to invest in the Chinese language education from the Primary Education stage in Africa,and then,in Afican tourism,using Chinese Infra and Entertainment companies,EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHINESE TOURISTS.
Lastly the PRC has to educate the good Africans,about the worth of the Indians.It was Idi Amin who assessed the worth of the Indians – a man who saw the future.Indians are the bania shopkeepers,money lenders and counterfeiters.They doomed the entire South African economy (The Guptas and Zuma).