White House tweets support for Taiwan-Somaliland ties

AIPEI, July 10, 2020 (Taiwan News) — The White House National Security Council (NSC) on Friday (July 10) tweeted support for the recent establishment of relations between Taiwan and Somaliland.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) announced at a press conference on July 1 that Taiwan and Somaliland had reached an agreement on the establishment of representative offices based on “bilateral friendship and a shared commitment to common values of freedom, democracy, justice and the rule of law.” The offices will be named the Taiwan Representative Office and the Somaliland Representative Office.

“Great to see Taiwan stepping up its engagement in East Africa in a time of such tremendous need,” the NSC tweet said. “Taiwan is a great partner in health, education, technical assistance, and more!”

The NSC tweet also linked to a July 6 Associated Press article on the establishment of ties. The article noted that Taiwan was able to score a rare diplomatic victory by establishing relations with the independent region of Somaliland.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday (July 6) at a daily press briefing that China maintained ties with Somalia and accused Taiwan of “undermining Somali sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Zhao added, “China firmly opposes the establishment of official institutions or any form of official exchange between the Taiwan authorities and Somaliland.”

In response, MOFA Spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that Taiwan is willing to develop cooperative relations with any country that pursues democracy and peace. She also called on China to refrain from making irresponsible remarks.