By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
China, 12 January 2026 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has invited Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to attend the upcoming second China-Arab States Summit, state-controlled media reported on Sunday, as Beijing moves to solidify strategic ties with the Horn of Africa nation.
The invitation was extended during a phone call between Yi and Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali Abdi ‘Dhaay’ according to the state-run China Daily.
The summit, scheduled to be held in China later this year, comes as Mogadishu seeks to leverage its membership in the Arab League to bolster international support for its territorial integrity.
Wang told his counterpart that China remains committed to a friendly policy toward Somalia regardless of changes in the "international landscape," the government-affiliated report said.
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Mogadishu has increasingly looked to Beijing for diplomatic backing amid a long-running dispute with Somaliland, which has recently sought to enhance its own international standing through unofficial ties with Taiwan.
According to the state media account, Dhaay reaffirmed Somalia's adherence to the "one-China" principle and expressed readiness to deepen cooperation in security and defence.
The engagement follows the postponement of Wang’s scheduled visit to the Somali capital last week, which officials from both sides described as a result of a "schedule change."
Somalia currently holds the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for January, a position Beijing has pledged to support as part of its broader diplomatic outreach to developing nations.
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