Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, met in Mogadishu with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Somalia, Wang Yu, to discuss deepening bilateral defense ties and accelerating joint counterterrorism efforts against Al-Shabaab.

During the meeting, Ambassador Wang reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government of Somalia in rebuilding and modernizing its National Armed Forces.

Minister Fiqi expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for its unwavering support of Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

The high-level discussions come at a critical juncture as Somalia prepares to take full ownership of its national security responsibilities ahead of the drawdown and exit of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).