Authorities in Mogadishu had cleared the roads for a historic visit, yet on Friday Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi travelled to Tanzania instead of Somalia as planned.
It would have been the first high-level Chinese mission to Mogadishu in four decades. The last-minute decision not to include the capital on Wang’s itinerary came as Somalia seeks shows of diplomatic support after Israel recognised the breakaway region of Somaliland last month.
A source at the presidential palace told local media the visit was postponed “due to technical issues”.
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At a regular Chinese foreign ministry press briefing on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson said Wang had “made adjustments to his itinerary regarding the relevant visit after friendly consultations between the foreign affairs authorities of China and Somalia”.
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In a subsequent video call from Wang to his staff in Mogadishu on Sunday, he said the Chinese mission faced the “most complex security situation” and the “most challenging working and living conditions”, according to a foreign ministry readout.
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