Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MASERU39
2006-01-23 14:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Maseru
Cable title:  

PRC AMBASSADOR DESCRIBES PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA

Tags:  PREL ECON EINV CH LT 
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RR RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHMR #0039 0231442
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231442Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1828
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0017
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 2080
UNCLAS MASERU 000039 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON EINV CH LT
SUBJECT: PRC AMBASSADOR DESCRIBES PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA

REF: 05 MASERU 0478

UNCLAS MASERU 000039

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON EINV CH LT
SUBJECT: PRC AMBASSADOR DESCRIBES PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA

REF: 05 MASERU 0478


1. (U) During a January 19 donor meeting, PRC Ambassador to
Lesotho Qiu Bohua gave a brief readout of Prime Minister
Mosisili's official visit to China Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, 2005.
Qiu noted that it was the Prime Minister's second trip to the
PRC and that Mosisili had accepted China's invitation to attend
the Sino-Africa Cooperation Summit in Beijing in November 2006.


2. (U) Qiu described the visit in strongly positive terms.
Mosisili had met the President of China, Speaker of the National
Assembly, and toured the Three Gorges Dam. Official talks
covered bilateral cooperation, UNSC reform, development issues.
The PRC had reaffirmed its support for Lesotho's "development
and stability," while Mosisili reiterated the GOL's backing of
the One China Policy.


3. (U) As a result of Lesotho's request for more economic
investment and development aid, Qiu said that during Mosisili's
visit the PRC had promised to:

-- Provide 1 million USD for purchasing food;
-- Provide 30 million Yuan for a development project to be
designated by the GOL;
-- Build a new Lesotho Parliament building;
-- Provide more investment in textiles and agriculture. (Qiu
added that technical teams would come to Lesotho first to do
feasibility studies to determine the most suitable type of
investments.)


4. (SBU) COMMENT: The trip and the financial assistance
provided by the PRC are the latest examples of China's growing
presence in Lesotho. As noted in ref, the PRC has provided
some equipment to the Lesotho Defense Force, built the new
National Library and Archives facility, plus a convention
center, and agreed to finance a substantial upgrade of Lesotho's
television and radio broadcast system. Many high-ranking GOL
high-ranking officials have made official trips to the PRC.
The Parliament project was a long time coming -- and may be
delayed further. The GOL had approached all of the bilateral
donors to sound out financing possibilities. None were
interested at first, but after a considerable period of time,
China decided to assist. Terms of the agreement require the
GOL to provide all of the infrastructure for the rather remote
site (located on a hill top away from the center of the city),
including an access road, before building construction begins.
Despite China's deep pockets, the general perception among
Lesotho of China and Chinese is decidedly mixed: "Chinese"
(whether from the PRC or Taiwan) can be seen as clannish,
culturally insensitive, and taking business opportunities away
from Basotho (ref).

ALBRECHT