MOGADISHU, Jan 10, 2026 – China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has postponed a landmark visit to Somalia, officials in Mogadishu said Saturday, a trip that would have marked the first by a Chinese foreign minister to the Horn of Africa nation since the 1980s.
The delay to the highly anticipated arrival comes as Wang conducts a multi-nation tour of the continent aimed at deepening trade ties and strategic cooperation between Beijing and African capitals.
Somali officials confirmed the postponement but declined to provide immediate details, stating that the specific reasons for the delay would be “announced later.”
The visit was seen as a significant diplomatic milestone for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration as it seeks to strengthen international partnerships. Beijing has remained a vocal supporter of Somalia’s territorial integrity, particularly amid brewing regional tensions.
Wang is currently on an African circuit that includes stops in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Lesotho. The tour, which began earlier this month, is scheduled to conclude on January 12.
The postponement follows a war of words between Chinese diplomats and officials in the breakaway region of Somaliland, after the latter claimed the trip was cancelled due to security concerns in Mogadishu—an allegation the Chinese embassy dismissed as “shameful fabrication.”
