Somalia’s government said on Wednesday that it had given a parcel of land in the capital Mogadishu to China to expand its embassy in the Horn of Africa country.
Somali state media said the move was expected to strengthen “longstanding partnership and cooperation” between the two nations.
The Somali National News Agency (SONNA) said the government handed over the land during a ceremony attended by officials from both countries, including Somalia’s aviation minister and the Chinese chargé d’Affaires.
It did not say where the land is located, but reports suggested that it was within the compound of the international airport in the Somali capital.
China’s foreign ministry gives the address of its embassy in Mogadishu as Halane, a heavily-protected compound that houses the Aden Adde international airport as well as several NGOs and foreign missions.
China’s embassy in Somalia was closed in 1991 due to instability and violence in the African country but was reopened in 2014 after 23 years.
During the time when the embassy was closed, China handled its relations with Somalia through its mission in neighboring Kenya.
Somalia and China have enjoyed close ties for decades, with Somalia becoming the first east African country to grant China diplomatic recognition.
