Ambassador expects more Chinese to visit Somalia

A new type of insurance that covers extreme situations, Global Travel Accident Comprehensive Insurance, was released last month in Beijing. Somali Ambassador to China Awale Ali Kullane attended the press conference and during an interview, he expressed his expectation that more Chinese travelers will visit Somalia.

The ambassador started by clearing up the misunderstanding that Somalia is a land of pirates.

"We can say that Somalia now is in a better state than it was seven or eight years ago. I know that so many people associate Somalia with piracy, but there has not been a pirate incident in Somalia for over five years. With this improvement, conditions in Somalia are getting better," the ambassador said.

He further added that in mainland Africa, Somalia is the closest country to China. The exchanges between Somalia and China date back hundreds of years ago. Famed Chinese navigator Zheng He visited Somalia on his goodwill trips.

"It is our responsibility for Somalis and the Chinese people to re-establish and enhance this connection, to make our economic and social ties much closer," the ambassador said.

Kullane was asked about his expectation on the number of Chinese visitors who will visit Somalia after the release of Global Travel Accident Comprehensive Insurance. He said that, although the number of Chinese travelers to Somalia has increased, “we want this number to increase more, we want the Chinese to not only to visit Somalia, but also the surrounding countries in Africa. So that they could be more informed of opportunities in this magnificent land, and they can have more connection with Somalis through business, social or people-to-people exchanges.”

What makes the newly-released insurance product stand out is that it combines common overseas insurance with crisis management services. It covers not only conventional accidents and emergent medical conditions that outbound travelers might encounter but extends to rescue procedures in extreme situations, so it is fully committed to ensuring the security of Chinese citizens traveling abroad.