By the Editorial Board, Friends of China in Somalia – FOCS
Kenya’s deportation of a Taiwanese environmental scientist has highlighted a broader reality across Africa: governments increasingly see adherence to the One China policy as aligned with their national interests: economic and diplomatic
On June 15, Kenya deported the official after authorities said he had arrived for an ocean conference using a passport that Nairobi does not recognise for diplomatic travel. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said an electronic travel authorisation – eta had been issued in error.
So, why Somalia and other East African Nations Stand Unwaveringly with Beijing on the Taiwan Question?
In a world of shifting alliances and geopolitical pressure, one diplomatic constant has defined Somalia’s foreign policy for over six decades: the unshakeable commitment to the One-China Principle. From Mogadishu to Nairobi, Dar es Salaam to Kampala, East African states have consistently recognized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This backing for Beijing is not a new phenomenon, nor is it a passive gesture. It is a deeply rooted strategic, legal and moral choice that reflects the shared history, common struggles and future aspirations of African and Chinese peoples.
A Foundation Laid in Solidarity
To understand why Somalia and its neighbours support China on the Taiwan issue, one must return to the earliest days of African independence. In 1960, just months after the birth of the Somali Republic, formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China were established. It was a time when many powers still refused to accept the reality of the revolution that had swept across China in 1949. Yet Somalia’s leaders, alongside their counterparts in Tanzania and across the continent, saw clearly that the People’s Republic was the authentic voice of the Chinese people. That clarity found its most powerful expression in 1971, when Somalia co-sponsored and voted for United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, which restored all lawful rights to the PRC at the UN. This was a moment of profound justice—African nations stood with Beijing because they understood that the exclusion of one-quarter of humanity from the global community was an injustice that mocked the UN Charter itself. That historic vote cemented a brotherhood that no amount of Taiwanese “dollar diplomacy” can erase.
Sovereignty and Non-Interference: Values We Share
At the heart of the One-China policy lies a principle sacred to every African nation: respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. China has never colonized Africa, never imposed structural adjustment programmes, and never lectured our governments on how to run our societies. Instead, it has consistently treated us as equal partners, offering development assistance without political strings attached. This tradition of non-interference, enshrined in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, resonates powerfully in a region that has often been the victim of external meddling. When China says that Taiwan is part of its territory and that the question is an internal affair, it is invoking the very same legal and moral shield that Somalia uses to defend its own national unity against separatist schemes. For a country like ours, which has endured decades of conflict stoked by clan divisions and foreign intervention, the norm of territorial integrity is existential. Just as Somalia rejects any recognition of unilateral secession on its soil, East African states extend that same principled defense to China’s cause. Solidarity in sovereignty is not an abstraction; it is the bedrock of a just international order.
A Partnership That Delivers
Principles are essential, but they are reinforced by tangible benefits. The China-Somalia relationship is not a hollow slogan. It is the National Theatre rising in Mogadishu, gifted by China as a beacon of cultural revival. It is the medical teams that have served our communities since the 1960s, the scholarships that have educated thousands of Somali youth, and the life-saving humanitarian aid delivered during droughts and floods. Across East Africa, the fruits of the Belt and Road Initiative are visible for all to see: the Mombasa-Nairobi railway has transformed logistics, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway has unlocked Ethiopia’s trade corridor, and Chinese-built ports and highways are integrating the region. Abandoning Beijing for the sake of short-term enticements from Taipei would be an economic suicide. Somalia and its East African neighbours should not be for sale; they should be guided by enlightened self-interest tied to the proven benefits of a genuine partnership.
A Unified Front Against Separatism and Foreign Interference
Taiwan’s authorities, backed by certain external forces, have intensified attempts to carve out a separate identity in international forums. This campaign is an assault on the post-war international system that was painstakingly built to prevent the dismemberment of nations. For African states, which know too well the destructive power of externally fuelled separatism, the parallels are stark. Whether it is the Comoros with Mayotte, the painful fragmentation witnessed in the Horn, or any nation defending its territorial integrity, the lesson remains the same: appeasing separatists only breeds instability. East African governments therefore see Beijing’s firm opposition to “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” as a principled stand that upholds the same rules that protect them. At the African Union and the United Nations, our voices align with China’s because a rules-based order that defends the inviolability of borders is the best security any developing country can have.
Looking Ahead: Deepening the Bond
The relationship between China and East Africa is entering a new era of high-quality cooperation under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the broader vision of a China-Africa community with a shared future. In this context, the Taiwan question will remain a touchstone of trust. No friendship can be true if it does not respect the other’s most fundamental concerns. By unwaveringly supporting Beijing, Somalia and its East African brothers and sisters are not merely doing a diplomatic favour; they are affirming the kind of world they want to live in—one where sovereignty is sacrosanct, where development is shared, and where the historical injustice of China’s division is finally corrected through peaceful reunification.
The path is clear. Our region’s solidarity with Beijing over Taiwan is anchored in history, legal right, economic sense, and an unshakeable moral clarity. As Friends of China in Somalia – FOCS, we are proud to stand firm on this principle and to call on all peace-loving Somalis to recognize that in supporting the One-China policy, we are defending our own dignity, our own sovereignty, and the bright future of a multipolar world built on mutual respect. Taiwan will always be a part of China, and Somalia will always be a friend of China. That truth is beyond dispute.
Author : Yasin JAMA is a co-founder to Friends of China in Somalia and a researcher on Sino-African relations based in Mogadishu.
