China voices support for Somalia after top diplomat postpones visit

BEIJING: China’s foreign minister said Beijing supported Somalia ​in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity in a phone call on Sunday with his Somali counterpart, a ‌Chinese ministry ‌statement ‌said.

Foreign ⁠Minister ​Wang ‌Yi held the phone call during his visit to Africa, and said China opposed Somaliland’s “collusion with Taiwan ⁠authorities to seek independence,” ‌referring in the statement ‍to ‍Somalia’s breakaway region.

Somalia ‍was scheduled to be part of the Chinese diplomat’s annual New ​Year tour of Africa, which also includes ⁠Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho, but the visit to the East African nation was postponed due to what the Chinese embassy said was a “schedule change.”