By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Mogadishu, 16 September 2026 China has warned Somaliland over its ties with Taiwan after President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro said he had rejected diplomatic messages from Beijing seeking Taiwan's departure from Hargeisa.
The Chinese embassy in Somalia on Wednesday condemned Somaliland's engagement with Taiwan, saying it violated the "one-China" principle and infringed on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"We urge those few politicians to see the real picture. To cross the line on the Taiwan question will lead to serious consequences," the embassy said.
The embassy also reaffirmed Beijing's support for Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying Somaliland was an inseparable part of Somali territory.
Irro made the remarks about the Chinese messages on Monday during an interview at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
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He said China had raised the Taiwan issue with his predecessor, Muse Bihi Abdi, who rejected Beijing's request.
Irro said he had not spoken directly with China's president but had received messages through diplomatic channels. Beijing wanted to maintain a presence in Hargeisa while requiring Taiwan to leave, he said.
Irro said Somaliland was prepared to host representatives from both sides.
Beijing regards democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes official contacts between Taipei and foreign governments. Taiwan rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
Somaliland and Taiwan opened representative offices in each other's capitals in 2020.