TNAG-2035-FCO40-2899-Visits-from-countries-other-than-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 126

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 815

OF 05093OZ MARCH 90

INFO PRIORITY PRETORIA

CONFIDENTIAL

14B 026/7

нив

RECEIVED IN

- 5 MAR 1990

(BY

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

Lui

'Gadi

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

121

025364

MDLIAN 3441

MY TELNO 670: AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC): VISIT TO HONG KONG

BY REPRESENTATIVE

SUMMARY

MR JERRY MATSILA (CHIEF ANC REPRESENTATIVE IN JAPAN) AND MR ERIC MOLOBI (NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEMBER OF THE MANDELA NATIONAL RECEPTION COMMITTEE) CALLED ON HKG OFFICIALS TO MAKE A STRONG PLEA THAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOT LIFT ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA. THEY ALSO ASKED THAT WE SHOULD DISCOURAGE EMIGRATION TO SOUTH AFRICA AND

GIVE EDUCATIONAL AID TO BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS. THEY ASKED WHETHER WE COULD INVITE MANDELA TO HONG KONG. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE HAVE TAKEN

NO DECISION TO LIFT SANCTIONS AND THAT WE KEEP OUR POLICY UNDER REVIEW TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OUR MORAL POSITION ON APARTHEID, OUR FREE TRADE POLICY AND ACTION BY MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS. WE NEITHER ENCOURAGE NOR DISCOURAGE EMIGRATION. WE HAVE NO AID PROGRAMME. WE

DO NOT HAVE OFFICIAL VISITS TO HONG KONG BUT IF MANDELA COMES I WOULD BE WILLING TO SEE HIM.

DETAIL

2. IN THE MEETING ON 1 MARCH WITH THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY (STI), MATSILA AND MOLOBI EXPLAINED THAT THEIR VISIT TO HONG KONG WAS PART OF AN EXERCISE TO FIND OUT THE OPINIONS AND

POLICIES OF THE MAJOR TRADING ECONOMIES TOWARDS SOUTH AFRICA IN THE

LIGHT OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS THERE. THEY EMPHASISED THAT DESPITE THE RELEASE OF MANDELA AND THE LIFTING OF THE BAN AGAINST THE ANC, APARTHEID HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED AND THAT THERE REMAINED

DISCRIMINATION. THEY REQUESTED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD NOT FOLLOW THE

U.K. IN LIFTING CURRENT ECONOMIC SANCTIONS (SIC) AGAINST SOUTH

AFRICA UNTIL THE BLACK POPULATION WERE LIBERATED.

3. STI CONFIRMED THAT HONG KONG DISAPPROVED OF APARTHEID. BEING A FIRM BELIEVER IN FREE TRADE, WE NORMALLY WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOUR OF TRADE RESTRICTIONS EXCEPT WHEN CLEARLY NECESSARY AND IN LINE WITH

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