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FOREIGN POLICY OF CHINA
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13
The ion John Wilson OMG Test African Department
SECRET
3
Copy to the J. Johnson / IK..
Posa, Col. Noir
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION
FREETOWN
13 August 1971 Enter
Mr Rangan
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1-Ling The HeNey.to 2018
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Foreign and Commonwealth office 4: Bambing
London SW1
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Jean John,
RANTORS WITH COMUNIST CHINA
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4: Adams!
Yes; many
for
"about Dusch we should Comment. WAD, will consult to before deeplying.
Yes- Ishullitats ce. /Th Sarass. Petery
Sol
$1.20.4
H
R).(ES).
7
1 As reported in my telegram No 279 the information transmitted in my
telegram No 293 came from Nancy o through a close relative of hers who
met the retuning
rty at the airport. lthough she may well have exngre the Timess, and
possibly the size, of the Chinese com mont, there is no obvious reason
that I can see why cho should have invented anything or got any of her
facts ed vrom. On the face of it, a Chinese bribe of this mitūdo secms
highly impropeble, and I was in two minds whether to await further
developmaits. On the whole, in view of the source of the report and its
extremoly factual ir ture it seemed to me post to let you have the
details strai¿lit FaVey in case they fitted in with other knowledge of
Clinuse 11.tentions. Again as I said in my telegram No 297, thi is so
far no independent collateral here, aside from the strange little
rumour, which the Americans have got solely, trt the railway is to be
"rescued". After the initial publicity for the decision to exchange
Ambassador, thum has ooon a completo blackout, and the Ministry of
Extoral Mficirs Inows nothing.
ist, to comment on the individual items of the lou, on the assumption
that the report is correct in broad ontlin.
-abilitation of the Railway
3 Only major work on the railway could, along with the otitat items,
make up a sum anywhere near £60m (or even 260m 11' that were indeed the
currency in which the loan is expromi).
·
/At the
FAST PAPER
BRGEET
购
At the same time, I do not see how any sort of precise "rice tag could
have been put on this: whatever sort of work is intended - and I would
guess that the most likely plan would be to superimpose a štandard gauge
line on moï'e or less the existing alignment - a feasibility study or
survey will be needed to establish some idea of costs. This would seem
to make it likely that this part of the Chinese 10an was expressed in an
"up to Xm" sort of formula.
4 Attractions for Sierra Leone in this would be:
(a) prestige; to be the only sizeable West African
territory without a railway would be bad enough; to have to dismantle an
existing railway, at thi behest of the IF, is even worse;
(b) one must remember that Solomon Pratt was General
Manager of Sierra Leone Railways and doubtless resents the decision to
phase out the railway;
7
(c) there is growing dissatisfaction over the road
programine; the two vital sectors of the East/West Road Bo-Kenema and
Freetown-Waterloo, bot the rasponsibility of IBD are pedly behind hand
cad look like taking yeers to finish; this delay provides some case for
retation of the railway if it could be made to operate properly; it
might even be argued that an efficient standari gauge railway might make
limited economic sense Ir capital costs could be virtually ignored, as
they would be under a loan or the sort nov proposed; Tari Sierra Leone
might rather enjoy the opportunity to cock a snook at the IRD - having
as usual fai loci Tailoc to look ahead to the risks she may run of being
black-balled by the whole multilateral aid community;
(d) there has, for some time, bean political opposition
to phasing out the railway, stemning from four or dislocation, with the
inadequate road system and the inefficiency of the Road Transport
Corporation, and from the redundancy which will inevitably be involved.
5 Attractions in this for the Chinese would be:
(a) if, as one imagines, their offer is to "look into"
rehabilitation of the railway, they will leve achieved
/maximum
P
SECRET
A boy why shead of.
L
maximum propaganda impact coupled with flexibility, low initial cost and
no firm eventual commitment;
(b) the initial survey, and later, if this actually
follows, construction of the railway, would enable than to penetrate
deeply into the country, in large numbers.
Gur Boats
6 The attractions for Sierra Leone are :
(a) prestige, inter alia vis-à-vis Guinea;
(b) they would provide an answer to the current very
genuine invasion hysteria;
(c) they make the extension of the territorial limit
to 200 miles a slightly less empty gesture;
(a) they fit in with Stevens' thought on the need for
Customs launches; he has probably given up any hope of getting these
from us and would doubtless argue that by their patrolling, the gun
boots would have a deterrent effect even if they could not follow
smugglers into shallow waters.
7 The obvious bonus for the Chinese apart from 1stige, is that they
would for the foreseeable future have to provide the officers, training
for the crews and maintenance facilities, including possibly permanent
dock installations in Freetovi. If this last is indeed the intention,
then this perhaps could be the first step in the establishment
of a Chinese Naval base.
Helicopters
8 Advantages for Sierra Leone are:
(a) again, prestige; Stevens can now dispense with
the Gúinean helicopter which he has had on loan;
(b) the internal security uses are obvious;
SECRET
/ (c)
(c) they can be used as VIP taxis, especially in tho
north where the road network is particularly bad.
9 For the Chinese, there is again the provision of crows and
maintenance, and possibly the setting up of some small base in Freetown
at the very least a hard standing: raki a hangar. Alternatively, Lungi
could be developed as a helicopter base, thus bringing the Chinese in
there.
Mility Experts
10 This is an area where Nancy Steele's obvious axe to grind may have
led her to exaggerate the firmess of the commitment. The proposal is
nonetheless inherently likely and rumours of possible Chinese training
for the militia have been current for some time. The implications are
particularly sinister because :
(a) of the inherent dangers of civil war between an
cmed and trained party militia and the army;
(b) these dangers have been made very clear to Stevens
by Colonel Momoh, the Force Commander and by
MacGillivray, the Head of latchguard International, and the inference is
therefore that Stevens has been over-persuaded by Nancy Steele or
bullied into this by his wild young men;
(c) it gives the Chinese en entree of a most dangerous
kind into the two most extreme elements in the A the women and the
youth. It is very typical that the Sierra Leone Government should be
asking us to help train their new recruits to the cpmy and
cimultaneously bidding for Chinese assistance with their militia. A
specifically party militia of this kind would have an obvious
application in tim next elections.
11 Having added all this up, one is still loft with tho feeling that the
whole propósition is grossly out of scale. Why should Sierra Leone be
worth £60 Million to the Chinese? Motives, insofar as we can analyse
them hero, might
/include
SECRET
include:
(a) the situation in the United Nations; Sierra
Leone's current Security Council seat might I suppose be useful, and I
believe that at present she my hold the balance between pro- and anti-
Communist Chinese in the Afro-Asian bloo;
(b) I suppose this acquisition might fit into Chinese West African
strategy, particularly if the aim in a bloc comprising Guinea, Sierra
Leone and Liberi: solidly under Chinese influence, with a usefu
strategic position on the African bulge and useful economic resources; I
am no expert on Chinese reval strategy but it sticks out a mile that
Sierra Leone's only real claim to fame is the port of Freetown; are the
Chinese planning a major llest African base (cf para 7 above)?
(c) there might perhaps be an economic angle; Sierra
Leone is far too small a market to interest Chim, out doos China need
Sierra Leone proțiuce, eg diamonds? Just conceivably, plans to
rémüilitate the railway might be conected with an extension into Guinea
to provide an outlet for mineral exports via Freeton. Is there a catch
perhaps in the oxtrc- ordinery 20-year grace period an arrangement for
instance for offset purchases by Sierra Leone of
+
Chinese goods? Perhaps the Tanzam railway reemont offers a parallel?
1. How far does all this represent a serious move to the Fort?
Recognition of Communist China is, of course, ruspuotrole enough. It has
been, and will continue to vo, represented here as a further step in
non-alignment, onl most of the politicians will, I suspect, persunie
thonncol. von quite genuinely that nothing much has changed. Those,
fcling probably Solomon Pratt himself, who really olieve ir
non-alignment above all because it ummbles Sierra Leone to fish
profitably in: both comps will doubtless regard this as a highly
favourable deal and will shrup of my risk of Chinese influence or
infiltration with a confident assertion of Sierra Leone's ability to
ride the Liger. With the incredible Sierra Leone propensity for rot
seeing beyond their noses, many will not even get that fw.
-
/ A few
SECRET
few Kancy Steele cortainly; S I Koroma probably; Komara-Taylor perhaps,
I am beginning to wonder about him will welcome this as a precursor to
closer relations with China and a move towards a more authoritarian,
one- Jarty State without, however, quite realising wint they have done.
-
13 For if China is really going in on this scale, she presumably means
business. The shape of the aid offer is ideally designed to facilitate
Chinese penetration ad subversion. I think, nonetheless, that any shirt
by Sierra. Leone into the Communist camp would come vory slowly. First,
because the Sierra Leoneans have their full sk.PO of African touchiness
and the Chinese will need to move cautiously if they want to avoid the
situation bloving up in their face; I would imagine that this would fit
in with the Chinese om ideas they se always credited with working to a
long time-scale and the 20-year grace poriad would fit in with this.
Secondly, because, though o should not over-estimate the effectiveness
of sentimental popular feelings against a ruthless and determined regime
and of course, the Creoles, the min ropository of those feelings, are
not the stuff that martyrs are made of there is a pretty deep and
widespread abhorrence here of the more repressive features of
dictatorship - Secret Folico, Poople's Courts and the rest; and
attachment to Common- wealth membership, which might, I suppose, be at
risk, adds depth to this feeling. Finally, Sierra Lóone is very
dependent on Western cid and even moro so on Westem investment, and will
not lightly put these at risk. Stevens, Tumore-Trylor and the other more
important members of the tovernmont realise that the balance of
conficence cm b
ily upsot.
14 There are two possible qualifications to this. First, tho APC is such
a loose and impressionable organisation that it might not be too
difficult a job for really tough oporators to take it over. The militant
wings, the youth cind the women, already exercise far more influence
then their numbers warrant, and it is precisely here that Chinese
leverage would be applied. Secondly, there is inhere t in this whole
loa-cun-recognition transaction the implication that Stevens is either
further Left than we have so far juiged, or has been overridden. Even
so, he remins both
/obstinte
SECRET
obstinate and indispensable to the APC, and I do not see them pushing
him too far, too fast.
15 Against this background, and assuming that the report moves to be
broadly correct, where do we stand a vint ought we to do? It would
clearly be a mistake to ove react, at least initially, or to suggest
that there is ything inherently wrong in relations with Communist China
as such. But I think there are a good many people here, including some
Ministers and perhaps ever. Stevi. himself, who might be receptive to
the argument that the Chinese Communists, like all other Communists,
remin fundamentally hostile to the est; that there is no question of our
or the other Jestern Powers viching: in any way to weaken the
traditional friendly relations between us and Sierra Leone, but that
this is prcise, the Chinese will be aiming for; and tint Sierra 190 must
be careful not to land herself to this sort or trio. Incipient examples
are the sort of double talk which Mak Taylor indulged in in North Korea
when he said that diam Leone had long wanted diplomatic relations with
"to ive people of the Far East.....but the Imperialists vių allow it".
One could point out that, carried through it
fanta action, this sort of nonsense must inevitably provoke rocction in
the West. In the longer run, if things stimu getting really rough, we
might have to rethink our positi... Palically, including our aid policy.
Meanwilile, then certain minor directions, coout which I have writta
separately to Huijsmon, in which we should go slow till .. see how the
land lies.
L
1.
I
u
13 For the moment, the most important thing we can do vi. De to buttress
our friends hore. I still number_Steven:: emoist these. As ortod in my
telegram No 279, ti
o hints that, faced perhaps with a Yos or to popol ti i Poking, the
Delegation took the decision without wor ing Stevens. In that crse,
further handling of the worke
·lair would be for discussion in Cabinet as soon Taylor and Solomon
Pratt retum - and this could perin unolain the blackout mawhile. I have
written to you separately about a possible peg on which to hang en un
24, personal approach by myself to Stevens.
во
Your
Stephen
S JL VIVO.
-
+
+
073005
Nesta from HŠINGUA NETIS AOPNICY
communique on establishment of diplomatic relations between people's
republic of china and republic of sierra Leone
peking, July 30 Chsinhuaɔ --
communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the
poople's republic of china and the republic of sierra Leone
the government of the people's rapublic of china and the government of
the republic of sierra Leone, in conformity with the interests and
desire of the people of the two countries, have decided to establish
diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial Level with ir mediate effect.
the chinese government and people firmly support the government and
people of the republic of sierra Leone in their struggle of opposing
imperialist, colonialism and no- colonialism and safeguarding national
independence and state sovereignty.
the government of sierra Leone recognizes the government of the people's
republic of china as the sole Legal government ropresenting the entire
chinose poople.
the two governments agree to develop the diplomatic relations,
friendship and cooperation between the two countries on the basis of the
principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,
mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal
affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
chi pang-fai
acting minister of foreign affairs of the people's republic of china
end item
solomon athanasius james pratt minister of external affairs o the
ropublic of siarra Leone
peking, July 29, 1971
-3-
073004
SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1971.
communique on establishment of diplomatic relations between china and
sierra Leona signed in peking
a
agreements on economic and technical cooperation and trade and payments
of two countries signad peking, July 30 chainhua) -- & communique on the
establishmont of the diplomatic relations between the People's republic
of china and the ropublic of sierra Leone was signed in peking on the
29th, an agreemont on economic and technical cooperation and an
agreement on trado and payments between the govori:ants of the two
countrios wore also signod.
attending the signing cent may were chou en-Lol, premier of the state
council, cir vis promior li hsien uien.
انها
attending the chamag woyo 0.8, Mittwertigten, mita stun of finance of
the ritin ef ædeera Trim End £90 general of the ell pluplete compread,
and all thi of the governattagion of the republic of 63. 1 he is
Loading.
L
L
+
chi pong-fei, acting chtings foraága edatsten, ond 2,8,j, pratt,
winistor of custri. Luffiths or the papusite of
1 sierra Leone, signed th respective povcrivents.
Ci. N
+
L1 hsion-nien, vice-premise of the atto council, ond c.n. kamara-taylor,
Leader of the government delegation of the republic of siipra Leone and
minister of 13:59, eloned the agreement on economic and technical ezept.
(tien én the agreement on trade and payments on balalf of turin poop
seliv governments.
also present at the ceremony on both sides wore:
members of the govornaont delegation of the republic of sierra Leone
d.f. ähsors, 8.a, kobo, £28, nancy steolo edward Lenin, a, scray murie,
alinany kamara, 8.r. fillie- faboo, 0.0, Cole and à‚s.n. johnson; ot:d
Leading members and staff mobors of the chinose deportments concerned
fong yl, Li chiang, yuan hus-ping, ho kung-kai, han hsu, chong fel, hei
yon-shɔ̃ng, hau erh-vel, yang yu- yung and tang won-chong." end itca
073006
IHUA
communique on visit of government delegation of republic of sierra Leona
to people's rapublic of china
peking, july 30 Chsinhua)
communique on the visit of the government delegation of the republic of
sierra Leone to the people's republic of china
at the invitation of the government of the people's republic of china,
the govern.ont delegation of the republic of sierra Leone Led by his
excellency c.a. kamera-taylor, minister of finance of the republic of
sierra Leone, paid an official friendly visit to the people's republic
of china from july 24 to 30, 1971.
the delegation consists of: his excellency c.a, kaṇara- taylor, minister
of finance and Leador of the delegation, his excellency s.a.j. pratt,
minister of external affairs; his excellency d.t. shears, minister of
works; honourable 3.4. keba, mender of parliament; alderman mrs. nancy
staale, director of the ports authority; aldiman me, edzard Lumin.
chair, in of the rice corporation; -n, no moray-uuries
ma, 2, KA 1200; . s.r. fillis Jah, 7. J.a. cole; and me. 8.5.m. johnson,
+
1
during the visit, chou en-bat, gror of the state council of the people's
repustio ef hún, cut the delegation,
lin, and the two sides had a cordiit ... endly conversation. vice-protne
if the state council 11:4 n-nien, acting
LE foreign.
chi pang-fet and v *"ister of foreign trade li viiang and other
reopornit
s of the departments concerned held talks in a cordial and friendly
atmosphère with c.a, kamara-taylor, minister of finance of the republic
of sierra Leone, 3,a.]. pratt, minister of external affairs, d.f.
shears, minister of works, alderman mrs. nancy steele, director of the
ports authority, and alderzan ér, advard Lamin, chairman of the rice
corporation.
the two sides held discussions on the development of the relations
between china and sierra Leone in the political, economic, trade and
other fields, the two sides have reached a satisfactory agreement on the
establishzent of diplomatic relations. an agreement on economic and
technical cooperation and an agreement on trade and payments have been
signed by the two sides. the two sides express high satisfaction at the
fact that the relations between the two countries in the political,
economic and other fiolds have entered a new stage, the two sides are
determined to remove every stumbling-block which has been put by the
imperialists in the way of fruitful cooperation between our two
countries.
SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1971.
the sierra Leone side highly praises the fact that his excellency
chairman mao tsetung's thoughts have swept across the oceans and wonded
their way into the hearts of progressive africans. the sierra Leone side
expresses firm support for the restoration of all the legitimate rights
of the people's rapublic of china in the united nations and the
expulsion of the so-called representatives of chiang Kai-shek in all the
u.n. organizations. the sierra Leone side holds that the government of
the people's republic of china is the sole Legal government representing
the chinese people, that taiwan is an inalienable part of chinese
territory and that the taiwan question is china's internal affair in
which no foreign country has the right to interfere, the chinese side
expresses sincere thanks to the government of sierra Leone for its just
stand and for its support.
the chinese side heartily rejoices over the continuous victories won by
the people of sierra Leone under the Leadership of his excellency
president siaka stevens in the struggle to safeguard nationat
independence and state sovereignty and frustrate the imperialist schemes
of subversion and expresses admiration for the pursuance of an
anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist policy of non-alignment by the
government of sierra Leone in international affairs, for its support
to the african people's struggle against imperialism, colonialism and
neo-colonialism and racial discrimination and for its contributions to
the afro-asien paople's cause of unity against imperialism, the chinese
side firmly supports the Government and people of siorra Leone in their
just struggle to defend their right over 200-nautical-mile territoriat
sea and in their just struggle against imperialist and colonialist
powers.
the two sides note with satisfaction the good development of the
friendly relations and cooperation between china and sierra Leone on the
basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence and believe that
with the joint efforts of the governments and people of the two
countries, such relations will certainly grow daily.
the two sides point out with pleasure that the present visit to china by
the government delegation of sierra Leone hoaded by his excellency c.a.
kamara-taylor has made positive contributions to the further development
of the friendly relations and cooperation between china and sierra Leone
and to the afro-asian people's cause of unity against imperialism.
end item
done at peking, the 30th
day of july, 1971
+
The Hon J Wilson, WAD
CONFIDENTIAL
L
이
FEC
44
CHINA AND SIBERA LEONE
1. Thank you for sending us a copy of your submission of
12 August.
2. As far as I can escortain, FED were not consulted on this
submission. If we had been we should have had some suggestions
to make, especially on those paragraphs (6 and 7) which coment
on China's diplomatic offensive in West Africa, In particular
we should have liked to refer to Peking's decire to undermine
the position of the Nationalists there, The latter have hitherto
been strongly entrenched but their position is now beginning
to look a litle shaky.
3. Might I ask you to include Sir 3 Tomlinsen amongst the
recipients of any future submissions of this kind?
13 August 1971
RB CrossON
Far Eastern Department
OCKFIDENTIAL
My Herning
Do we want
to comment further at
this stage?
M
Crayzan
No,
гот
Lie/e
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.