China reacts harshly to US senator’s Somaliland remarks

The Chinese Embassy in Somalia has issued a strongly worded statement condemning a US senator's letter that called for recognition of Somaliland, dismissing it as "baseless attacks against China and China-Somalia relations."

"The Chinese Embassy in Somalia firmly opposes this misconduct," the statement read, describing Senator Ted Cruz's remarks as "serious interference in the internal affairs of Somalia" and evidence of the "hegemonic and bullying attitude of certain US politicians to the Somali people."

Senator Ted Cruz had earlier appealed to US President Donald Trump to formally recognise the Republic of Somaliland as an independent state, calling it a major boost for their decades-long quest for recognition.

In a letter to Trump, Cruz, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, praised Somaliland as "a critical security and diplomatic partner for the United States" and urged the administration to "grant it that recognition."

But Beijing's intervention is more than routine solidarity.

China's reaction reflects the logic of its own One-China Policy, which defines Taiwan as an inalienable part of the Chinese state.

Somalia has consistently backed this stance, and in turn, Beijing has lent its weight to what might be called Mogadishu's One-Somalia Policy - the view that Somaliland remains an inseparable part of Somalia.

Any perceived threat to Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the embassy made clear, would draw a robust response.

"Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs are enshrined in the UN Charter, as basic norms governing international relations for safeguarding world peace and stability. China never interferes in other countries' internal affairs and does not accept meddling in its internal affairs by any country."

The statement also folded in Taiwan, underscoring the symmetry: "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is the history and the reality. China firmly opposes 'Taiwan independence' separatism and external interference, and possesses the legitimate right to take measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

For Beijing, then, standing by Mogadishu is not simply about Somalia - it is about ensuring that recognition battles in Africa do not set precedents for its struggle against Taiwan's international scene.

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