CONFIDENTIAL
025364 MDLIAN 3441
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 815
OF 05093OZ MARCH 90
INFO PRIORITY PRETORIA
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
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 WEITHER 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
NOT BE IN FAVOUR OF FIRM BELIEVER IN FREE TRADE, WE NORMALLY WOULD TRADE RESTRICTIONS EXCEPT WHEN CLEARLY NECESSARY AND IN LINE WITH
1
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