Sino-Somali relations

China-Somalia relations were established on 14 December, 1960.cite web|title=China and Somalia|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China|date=2003-10-12|accessdate=2007-06-11|url=http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zzjg/fzs/gjlb/3089/t16575.htm] The two countries signed their first trade agreement in June 1963. [cite news|url= |title=Somalia to Trade With China|date=1963-06-09|accessdate=2007-11-06|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30814F83A55177A93CBA9178DD85F478685F9] The Sino-Soviet split had a large influence on China's relations with African countries; as early as 1964, Somalia was described as the "first major area of Sino-Soviet Rivalry in Africa". [cite news|title=Communists Competing in Africa|publisher=The New York Times|date1964-09-06|accessdate=2007-11-06|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50E15F93E581B728DDDAF0894D1405B848AF1D3] When the Somali side expelled Soviet representatives in late 1977, China agreed to take over many of the aid projects started by them. [cite news|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/137018422.html?dids=137018422:137018422&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=APR+21%2C+1978&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Chinese+to+Increase+Aid+to+Somalia&pqatl=google|publisher=The Washington Post|date=1987-04-21|accessdate=2007-11-06|title=Chinese to Increase Aid to Somalia] Although the Chinese embassy was closed down and its personnel withdrawn in January 1991 due to the intensification of the Somali Civil War and the overthrow of the Siad Barre government, Somali ambassador Mohamed Hassan Said, who began his service in 1988, remained in Beijing. He found his salary cut off by the collapse of the Barre government, and due to his lack of funds did not even travel out of the country for more than five years. Surviving only on handouts from embassies of other Muslim countries, he was described as China's "saddest foreign resident" by the "Washington Post". [cite news|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/AASB/lib00061,0EA056C0F7A1A199.html|title=Somali envoy is adrift in China|title=Austin American-Statesman|date=1997-01-01|accessdate=2007-11-06|last=Richburg|first=Keith] As of 2005, he remained Somalia's ambassador to China. [cite news|publisher=People's Daily|date=2005-07-12|accessdate=2007-11-06|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200507/12/eng20050712_195495.html|title=Embassy staff visit exhibition marking 60th anniversary of victory of anti-Fascist War]

Despite the departure of most Chinese nationals from Somalia in 1991, the two countries maintained a small trading relationship; total trade volume in 2002 was US$3.39 million, with Somalia exporting US$1.56 million of goods to China and importing $1.83 million.In July 2007, the China state-owned oil company CNOOC signed an agreement with the Somali government to search for oil in the Mudug region of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland; a competing oil company estimated the total reserves in Puntland could amount to five to ten billion barrels of oil. However, an unnamed diplomat from a Western country stated that the Somali government had signed similar deals with other countries, which could bring CNOOC into conflict with foreign competitors over exploration and drilling rights. [cite news|title=Somalia oil deal for China|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/20a8a430-3167-11dc-891f-0000779fd2ac,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-0000779e2340.html|date=2007-07-13|accessdate=2007-11-06|last=Jopson|first=Barney|publisher=Financial Times]

References