China–Somalia relations are the bilateral relations between China and Somalia. Somalia maintains an embassy in Beijing. China has an embassy in Mogadishu. It is led by Ambassador Wei Hongtian. History Somalia and China have a long relations in terms of trade, military, culture and language. Middle Ages Relations between Somalia and China long predate the Middle Ages. Through trade, the peoples of both areas established good relations. Giraffes, zebras and incense were exported to the Ming Empire of China, which established Somali merchants as leaders in the commerce between Asia and Africa, and in the process influenced the Chinese language with the Somali language and vice versa. The Chinese exported celadon wares, spices and muskets in return for horses, exotic animals and ivory. The prominent Hui-Chinese explorer, mariner, diplomat and fleet admiral, Zheng He, arrived in his fourth and fifth voyage to the Somali cities of Mogadishu, Zeila, Merca and Berbera. Sa'id of Mogadishu, a Somali explorer, travelled to China in the 14th century, when China was ruled by the Yuan Dynasty, and noted the trading communities of the Chinese ports and cities. Cold War era Democratic Government (1960 - 1969) Official relations between the Somali and Chinese governments were established on 14 December 1960. Somalia and China later signed their first official trade agreement in June 1963. During the Cold War period, the Somali government maintained active relations with its Chinese counterpart. The Somali authorities campaigned for an end to China's diplomatic isolation and supported instead its entry into the United Nations. The Sino-Soviet split had a large influence on China's relations with countries in Africa. As early as 1964, Somalia was described as the first major center of Sino-Soviet rivalry on the continent. Barre Regime (1969 - 1991) By 1971, Chinese economic aid to Somalia far exceeded the Soviet Union. When the Somali government expelled Soviet representatives in late 1977, China agreed to take over many of the development projects started by them. The Chinese government declared Somalia's decision to expel the Soviets as marking a, "another important victory in the struggle against hegemonism" In the late 1970s the Chinese carried out and completed what was consider their second most ambitious project in Sub-Saharan Africa known as "The Somali North-South Road". The PRC also became involved in the construction of hospitals, factories and further extended large loans to Somalia. Present-day Somali Civil War In January 1991, the Chinese