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After closing its Somalian embassy due to a civil war breakout in the 1990s, China officially reopened its seat of representation in Somalia, with a new ambassador assigned to represent China.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming and Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud officially declared the reopening of the Chinese embassy during a ceremony held in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital city.
The Somali president noted that Somalia-China relationship remains strong and dates back years in history. The president also expressed his gratitude to China for helping Somalia in times of need.
Vice Foreign Minister Zhang said that the reopening of China's embassy in Somalia will further bolster the two countries' mutually beneficial relations.
Back in 1991, China closed its embassy and repositioned the staff right after the civil war in Somalia broke out. The African country was left in a state of chaos which lasted for over two decades.
The two countries established their diplomatic partnerships after Somalia attained autonomy from Italy in 1960. Somalia helped China lobby for a position in the United Nations.
Wei Hongtian, the newly accredited ambassador who speaks fluent Somali, expressed that he felt privileged being appointed as China's representative in Somalia, where he took his tertiary studies at the national university in the 1980s.
Aside from China, other nations also sent ambassadors to Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Britain, Norway and Turkey are among the several European nations that recently appointed their ambassadors for Somolia.
