Somalia and China Relations

[Umm-al-Dhegdheeriyaa]

I find it interesting that ever since the Middle Ages, Somalia has been trading with China(not just trade but apparently influencing each other in terms of language, culture and military). Of course we know that Somalia was a trading route through the Silk Road, where traders brought all sorts of stuff. *Incoming random Wikipedia page*
“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,[2] and in the process influenced the Chinese language with the Somali language and vice versa”(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–Somalia_relations). And then there’s that Somali traveller named Sa’id of Mogadishu who travelled to China during the Yuan Dynasty, it is said that he was the first African to study Mandarin.
With this kind of rich history, why don’t Somalis ever claim to have sold Giraffes to the Chinese or the Chinese ever acknowledge they had such a history?

 

[Umm-al-Dhegdheeriyaa]

 

[AarLibaax]

Chinese do acknowledge the long history they have with East Africa


"Somali merchants as leaders in the commerce between Asia and Africa"


That was a fact then & shall be again in the not too distant future

 

[Umm-al-Dhegdheeriyaa]

Chinese do acknowledge the long history they have with East Africa
What have they said? I’ve missed this completely

"Somali merchants as leaders in the commerce between Asia and Africa"


That was a fact then & shall be again in the not too distant future
INSHALLAH! I have hope somehow

 

[AarLibaax]

InshaAllah @Umm-al-Dhegdheeriyaa

I'm hopeful too

 

[Ibrahim hassan]

China cheats and trades unfairly now. Thier ecconmy is based on mooching off america and ripping the world.

 

[Umm-al-Dhegdheeriyaa]

China cheats and trades unfairly now. Thier ecconmy is based on mooching off america and ripping the world.

You’re right, I wouldn’t say they entirely mooch off America, but yes they do rely on selling to others(especially since they have cheap labour); in a way they both need each other. They do trade unfairly and not to mention all the sea they want that doesn’t belong to them

 

[XamarWeeaboo]

With this kind of rich history, why don’t Somalis ever claim to have sold Giraffes to the Chinese or the Chinese ever acknowledge they had such a history?

1. We Somalis have been trading with people for a long LONG time, we've seen the rise of many empires, but at the end of the day do you expect us to be bothered with remembering what we traded with them? No, we only care about money, we always have and will.

2. Documents in Somalia are hard to find and gain access to, so we never really knew of the giraffe thing.

3. Why should we claim to sell them giraffes? I'm sure we've sold them to the arabs and europeans as well some where along the annals of time- why make them special??

 

[Umm-al-Dhegdheeriyaa]

1. We Somalis have been trading with people for a long LONG time, we've seen the rise of many empires, but at the end of the day do you expect us to be bothered with remembering what we traded with them? No, we only care about money, we always have and will.
No I just think Somalis have a rich history of trading with all sorts of countries, I just think it’s important to be aware of the fact that all those nation who see us as xaar now were once working with us.
2. Documents in Somalia are hard to find and gain access to, so we never really knew of the giraffe thing.
Yess that’s actually right.
3. Why should we claim to sell them giraffes? I'm sure we've sold them to the arabs and europeans as well some where along the annals of time- why make them special? The Giraffe thing is one thing(nothing special), but the fact that the languages influenced one another is something fascinating, don’t you think?