By: Abdirizak Ibrahim
The marking of 65 years of diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Somalia and the People’s Republic of China coincides with a period of profound transition for Somalia , one defined not only by opportunity, but by structural change in the global development landscape. At a time when official development assistance (ODA) is declining, and aid flows to fragile and post-conflict countries are becoming increasingly constrained, Somalia is already experiencing the tangible effects of these shifts. Reductions in external assistance have placed additional pressure on critical social sectors, including health, education, social protection, and humanitarian response, underscoring the limits of an aid-dependent development model.
This evolving reality demands more than commemoration or continuity of past approaches. It requires a fundamental rethinking of how Somalia advances its national development objectives. The current moment calls for deliberate alignment between foreign policy, economic diplomacy, and domestic transformation priorities—anchored in investment, trade, and productive partnerships that can generate jobs, expand fiscal space, and support long-term economic resilience. As traditional aid instruments contract, Somalia’s engagement with strategic partners must increasingly focus on building self-sustaining growth engines capable of financing social development from within, rather than relying on diminishing external support.
My recent visit to China, was both instructive and reaffirming. It provided firsthand exposure to how purposeful engagement with China—when anchored in national strategy—can translate into tangible economic outcomes. This engagement was formalized through two major platforms: the Somalia–China Investment and Trade Forum held in Beijing on 18 December and organized by the Somalia Embassy in Beijing, followed by the Somalia–China Economic and Trade Exchange Summit in Guangzhou.
These forums brought together more than 500 participants, including Chinese investors, leading corporations, development agencies, senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Chambers of Commerce, Chinese government institutions, international diplomats and ambassadors based in Beijing, and members of the Somali business community operating in China. The scale and seriousness of participation reflected growing confidence in Somalia’s reform direction and long-term economic potential.
What emerged clearly from these engagements—and from my broader observations in China—was a shared recognition that aid alone does not build nations. Humanitarian assistance remains essential in addressing immediate needs, but it does not generate sustainable employment, expand productive capacity, or drive long-term GDP growth.
Development is built through investment, infrastructure, trade, and access to markets. This understanding is already shaping outcomes across our region. During my visit, I observed how countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti have strategically leveraged partnerships with China to advance national development objectives. Railways, ports, industrial parks, logistics corridors, power infrastructure, and manufacturing zones are not abstract concepts in these countries; they are operating assets supporting jobs, exports, and economic competitiveness. These results did not emerge by chance. They are the product of clarity of vision, institutional coordination, and disciplined economic diplomacy.
Somalia’s engagement with China is now being framed through the same strategic lens and is fully aligned with our National Transformation Plan (NTP) 2025–2029. The NTP is anchored around three overarching “true north” priorities: increased investment from both domestic and international sources, job creation, and sustained GDP growth. These priorities informed every aspect of Somalia’s engagement in Beijing and Guangzhou.
A central pillar of the NTP is logistics and infrastructure development, with a clear ambition to position Somalia as a logistics powerhouse for the Horn of Africa. Somalia’s comparative advantage is structural and enduring. With the longest coastline in Africa, direct access to major global shipping lanes, and proximity to both African and Middle Eastern markets, Somalia is naturally positioned to serve as a regional trade and transit hub. Strategic engagement with China—whose development experience has been infrastructure-led—directly supports this ambition.
The NTP also prioritizes energy and fisheries as catalytic sectors. Reliable and affordable energy is indispensable for industrialization, logistics, and private-sector growth. Fisheries and the blue economy, anchored in Somalia’s vast maritime resources, represent one of the country’s most underutilized opportunities for exports, employment, and food security. These sectors were consistently highlighted during discussions with Chinese investors and institutions, many of whom expressed interest in long-term, production-oriented partnerships.
This medium-term transformation agenda is further reinforced by Vision 2060, Somalia’s centennial long-term development framework. Vision 2060 projects a future Somalia that is economically integrated, infrastructure-driven, export-oriented, and powered by a dynamic private sector. Its focus on investment, productivity, jobs, and sustained growth mirrors the NTP, but over a generational horizon. Engagement with China must therefore be understood not as a short-term diplomatic initiative, but as part of a long-term strategic alignment consistent with Vision 2060.
Somalia’s accession to the East African Community (EAC) further strengthens this strategic positioning. Membership in the EAC positions Somalia as a gateway to a regional market of approximately 284 million people across Eastern Africa. For investors, this market access fundamentally enhances Somalia’s attractiveness as a platform for regional trade, logistics, and industrial investment. When combined with Somalia’s coastline and port potential, EAC integration reinforces Somalia’s role as a bridge linking Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
The lessons from China and from regional peers are clear. Countries that engage China with coherent strategies, credible institutions, and bankable projects translate cooperation into infrastructure, jobs, and growth. Those that approach the relationship through an aid-centric lens do not. Somalia’s policy direction is therefore unambiguous: to transition from dependency to investment-led development, from short-term assistance to long-term partnership.
The 65th anniversary of Somalia–China diplomatic relations should thus be understood as a turning point. It marks a shift from commemoration to execution, from dialogue to delivery. Somalia’s task now is to ensure that economic diplomacy continues to align with national plans, that engagement with partners translates into investment on the ground, and that growth delivers tangible benefits for Somali citizens.
My experience in China reinforced a simple but powerful conclusion: Somalia can achieve what others in the region have achieved. With strategic clarity, disciplined implementation, and strong partnerships, Somalia is well positioned to realize the ambitions set out in the NTP 2025–2029 and Vision 2060—and to emerge as a logistics, trade, and investment hub for the Horn of Africa.
The future will not be built by aid alone. It will be built through investment, infrastructure, and strategic economic partnerships. China remains a central partner in that journey.
Abdirizak Ibrahim is the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister, Federal Government of Somalia. His career spans senior roles with organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children, and Mercy Corps across East and Southern Africa and Asia.