Taiwan and Somaliland Deepen Ties Amid Ramped-Up Pressure from Beijing

The strategic alliance could limit the expansion of Chinese influence in Africa, expert says.

Essa Kayd, minister of Somaliland's foreign affairs and international cooperation, in Taipei on Feb. 11, 2022. CNA photo

Somaliland’s relations with Taiwan are the best they have ever been, the East African state’s top diplomat said in a recent trip to Taipei, adding that Somaliland is free to pursue its own diplomacy independent of Chinese demands.

Taiwan’s defense expert said that Somaliland’s strategic location could limit the expansion of Chinese influence in Africa. And a Taiwan-Somaliland friendship would benefit both the quasi-nations.

In recent years, ties between Taiwan and Somaliland have blossomed as each is a de facto independent and democratic state but claimed by a larger neighboring country.

“Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991 but has not gained widespread international recognition for its independence. The region has been mostly peaceful, while Somalia has grappled with three decades of civil war,” according to Reuters.

Similarly, Taiwan, a democratic self-ruled island, has faced China’s sovereignty claim for over half a century and is likewise diplomatically isolated.

The two quasi-nations set up reciprocal representative offices, which essentially function as embassies in each other’s capitals in 2020, angering Beijing and Mogadishu (Somalia).

On Feb. 8, Somaliland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Essa Kayd led a high-level delegation on a goodwill trip to Taiwan. Its members met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and other top Taiwanese officials, according to Taiwan’s state-owned Central News Agency (CNA).

Somaliland's Foreign Minister Essa Kayd (3rd L) waving with his delegation after arriving at Taoyuan International Airport outside Taipei on Feb. 8. STR/CNA/AFP via Getty Images

Warming Ties and Strategic Cooperation

Kyad’s delegation, which included Somaliland’s finance minister and several other high-level officials, sought to bolster its foreign investment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to The National Interest, an American international affairs magazine, Kyad highlighted opportunities for economic cooperation, including hydrocarbon extraction off Somaliland’s coast and coal mining in its interior. Coal, oil, and gas are three of Taiwan’s largest imports, making establishing a reliable energy supply chain a vital priority for the island’s government.

Taiwan’s foreign minister Wu said the two nations understand each other’s situation best—with larger neighboring countries seeking to claim their territories.

The two nations are both resilient and Somaliland stands for democracy, and free expression, just like Taiwan, Kyad said according to Taiwan News.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu speaks during a press conference in Taipei on Nov. 22, 2019. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

Kyad said that Taiwan had generously provided technical assistance in the agriculture, information technology, trade, and medical sectors to Somaliland, without asking for a return.

Beijing, which has pursued considerable investments in Africa, reacted to Somaliland’s visit to Taiwan with hostility, accusing Taipei of attempting to bolster regional secessionism.

However, in a response directed at Beijing, Kyad insisted that any trade partners should “respect [Somaliland’s] integrity as a sovereign country,” emphasizing that Somaliland is “open to everybody…who comes and want to do business with us, without any strings or conditions.”

“We were born free, we will stay free, and we will own our business the way we want it. China cannot dictate. Other countries cannot dictate,” Kyad added.

In an attempt to obstruct the diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Somaliland, in August 2020, China’s foreign ministry sent high-level diplomats to Somaliland to hold talks with President Muse Bihi Abdi, according to the Chinese edition of Radio France Internationale (RFI).

Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi is seen on-screen as he speaks via video link during the opening ceremony of the Somaliland representative office in Taipei on September 9, 2020. Photo by Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

Beijing tempted Somaliland to terminate bilateral relations with Taiwan in exchange for Chinese-built infrastructures such as roads and airports. However, Abdi refused.

Abdi told the Chinese delegation that Somaliland would instead work to strengthen ties with Taiwan.

A Strategic Territory in Africa

Somaliland, or the Republic of Somaliland, is strategically situated in the Horn of Africa and is a critical shipping hub connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa. Somaliland borders the Gulf of Aden to the north, Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the southwest, Djibouti to the northwest, and Yemen across the sea.

Kayd stressed that Somaliland, situated close to the entrance to the Red Sea, has become “a very strategic area of the world,” adding that it sought to collaborate with Taiwan to develop and enhance the capability and capacity of its Coast Guard, said a CNA report.

More than one-third of the world’s goods pass through the Gulf of Aden. Somaliland pursues a deepened bilateral collaboration with Taiwan, especially in areas such as maritime security. And it hopes the relationship between the two sides will become more prosperous.

Taiwan, which once enjoyed broad recognition in Africa, has seen most nations withdraw their recognition of it in favor of mainland China. The warming ties between the two states could allow Taiwan to regain some of its presence in Africa.

However, Somaliland’s goodwill visit to Taiwan gave rise to strong dissatisfaction from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

China’s Foreign Ministry said this week that Taiwan was “fanning the flames to undermine the independence and unification of other countries, harming others without benefiting themselves” by hosting a senior ministerial delegation from Somaliland, according to a Reuters report.

Amid Beijing’s ramped-up pressure, Somaliland’s foreign minister Kayd side-stepped questions about whether the two sides will establish diplomatic ties.

“Taiwan and my country, Somaliland, have the highest multifaceted relations. The highest. The best. We cannot have any better than that,” Kayd said without providing a direct answer, according to CNA.

Somaliland's Foreign Minister Essa Kayd, Minister of Financial Development Saad Ali Shire, Minister of Livestock and Fishery Development Saeed Sulub Mohamed, and Minister of Planning and National Development Omar Ali Abdilahi attend a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on Feb. 11, 2022. I-Hwa Cheng/Reuters

A Strong Taiwan-Somaliland Tie Can Deter Beijing Expansion: Expert

A director at Taiwan’s National Defense and Security Research Institute, Su Ziyun, told The Epoch Times that Somaliland’s strategic location could play a “balancing role” in limiting Beijing’s military expansion in Africa.

Su said Somaliland is a critical strategic stronghold connecting the Indo-Pacific region and the European continent. It is strategically situated on the Horn of Africa and borders Djibouti, where China maintains its first-ever overseas military base. Meanwhile, the United States and Japan also have military bases in Djibouti. Therefore, a robust Taiwan-Somaliland relationship can prevent Somaliland from leasing its base to Beijing.

Also, Taiwan can send maritime patrols to Somaliland waters to escort Taiwanese cargo and cruise ships, ensuring the safety of trade and preventing pirate attacks.

Taiwan’s state-owned oil supplier is expected to start oil exploration in Somaliland in 2023 after a deal was struck. The agreement enhances the security of Taiwan’s energy supply.

Su also advocated increasing aid to Somaliland, citing Taiwan’s high trade surplus could be used to strengthen diplomatic ties amid Beijing’s aggressive campaign to poach Taiwan’s allies.

Cindy Lee contributed to this report.