In the long history of international arms trade, behind every transaction is the consideration of trust and interests between countries.
Among them, the sale of J-6 fighters between Somalia and China is undoubtedly a complex and thought-provoking story.
Somalia became independent in July 1960, and on December 14 of the same year, China and Somalia formally established diplomatic relations, and China became one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations, and Somalia was also the first East African country to establish diplomatic relations with China, marking a new starting point for bilateral relations.
In the 60s and 70s of the 20th century, the two countries cooperated closely and signed a number of agreements on cultural and economic and technical cooperation.
China has provided a large amount of assistance to Somalia to help build infrastructure such as farms and roads, and introduced rice cultivation technology, which has had a profound impact on Somalia's agricultural development.
A period of arms sales that began with trust
Back in 1979, Somalia was seeking to strengthen its defense capabilities to safeguard its national security and regional influence.
In this context, China has become an ideal partner. After a series of negotiations, the two countries reached an important agreement: Somalia will buy 26 J-6 fighter jets from China, with a total contract value of up to $33.1 million.
As one of the main models of the Chinese Air Force at that time, the J-6 attracted the attention of Somalia with its excellent cost performance.
Advance payment and delivery went smoothly
After the agreement was signed, Somalia paid $16 million as a deposit, demonstrating its sincerity and determination to the deal.
Subsequently, China delivered all the fighters as agreed. The arrival of this batch of J-6 has undoubtedly injected fresh blood into the Somali Air Force and strengthened its air defense capability. However, the story doesn't go as smoothly as expected.
The marathon of debt collection and the attempt to "pay off debts with fishing".
With the completion of the delivery, Somalia failed to pay the remaining $17.1 million as agreed.
Faced with this situation, China did not immediately take tough measures, but chose to communicate patiently, and sent representatives to Somalia seven times to collect debts.
Regrettably, the financial difficulties faced by Somalia have become an insurmountable obstacle and repayments have been repeatedly delayed.
In 1988, things took a turn for the better.
During his visit to China, the Somali Minister of Defense proposed an unprecedented solution - "fishing to pay debts".
That is, by opening up its rich marine fishery resources to China, allowing Chinese fishing vessels to fish legally in Somali waters, and the proceeds are used to offset part of the debt. China has shown openness to this and has agreed to try this innovative solution.
Twists and turns: The road to debt repayment has been bumpy again
In the early days, the "Fishing for Debt" program seemed to have found a viable solution for both sides.
The fact that Chinese fishing vessels are operating in Somali waters is far from enough to pay off its debts in one fell swoop has at least opened a window of positive dialogue and demonstrated China's flexibility and creativity in dealing with its international debt.
However, the good times were short-lived, and in 1991 the political situation in Somalia changed dramatically, and a coup d'état led to a change of government.
The new regime refused to recognize the previous government's debt and terminated the issuance of fishing licenses, bringing the "fishing to debt" program to an abrupt end. This change not only hinders China's debt recovery path again, but also reflects the political risks and uncertainties hidden behind international arms sales.
A debt puzzle that remains unsolved to this day
Time flies, decades have passed in the blink of an eye, and Somalia has still not fully repaid the balance of the purchase of the J-6 fighter.
This incident is not only a monetary loss, but also a test of the international credibility system.
It reveals that in addition to technical performance and price negotiations, political stability and possible future changes must also be considered in international arms sales, as well as how to design more robust payment guarantee mechanisms.
To date, it is likely that Somalia's outstanding payments for fighter jets remain outstanding, but China has shown tolerance as a major power and will not continue to pursue the payments, and it can be said that the matter has finally been resolved in an informal way.
Despite the ongoing turmoil experienced in Somalia in recent years, China's relations with Somalia remain maintained, and China continues to support the peace and reconstruction of Somalia in the international arena and promote Somalia's economic and social development through assistance, investment and development projects.