Taiwan and Somaliland, Somalia’s northern autonomous region, have agreed to boost diplomatic relations between them.

A Taiwan Representative Office will be set up in this independent country on the Horn of Africa.

A claim Somalia has routinely rejected even cut diplomatic ties over, when Guinea accorded visiting Somaliland president presidential courtesies.

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Taiwan’s diplomatic reach extends to a little over a dozen countries globally because of pressure from China.

For his part, Somaliland president Muse Bihi Abdi quoted Ing-wen’s tweet thanking Taiwan for the warm welcome before adding: “Excellency, as you expressed, the bilateral relationship of Somaliland and Taiwan is built upon shared values mutual respect.