MFA: FINISH ZIMBABWE RECOUNT BEFORE FURTHER ACTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 001598

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2028
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR CH ZI SADC
SUBJECT: MFA: FINISH ZIMBABWE RECOUNT BEFORE FURTHER ACTION

REF: A. BEIJING 1568

B. STATE 42016

Classified By: Political Officer Ted Lyng. Reasons 1.4 (B/D).


1. (C) Summary. The international community should wait for
the election recount to be completed before taking any action
on Zimbabwe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Africa
Department Southern Africa Division Director He Meng said
April 24. The crisis in Zimbabwe should be left to Africans
to solve on their own, and the international community should
only become involved if African countries so desire.
According to a UK Embassy Political Officer, when British
Foreign Office Political Director Mark Lyall Grant raised
arms sales to Zimbabwe, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He
Yafei responded that China "has heard the message loud and
clear." End Summary.


2. (C) As a follow up to the April 22 demarche delivered to
the MFA Arms Control Department (ref A),PolOff and UK
Embassy First Secretary Gareth Ward on April 24 jointly met
MFA Africa Department Southern Africa Division Director He
Meng to re-emphasize ref B points given in the demarche (ref
B) and to inquire about China's position on the current
situation in Zimbabwe.

First Step: Finish the Recount
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3. (C) Before the international community takes any steps on
Zimbabwe, election recounts must be completed, Director He
said. Moreover, Africans have a deeper understanding of the
problems in Africa than do outsiders, he said, so the
citizens of Zimbabwe and the other nations in Southern Africa
must take the lead on solving the problems there. The
African Union and Southern African Development Community
should also play a role. Only if African nations ask for
help should the international community intervene, he said.
Ultimately, China hopes that the problems will be solved
through "dialogue on the basis of mutual equality."

China Hears Message "Loud and Clear"
--------------


4. (C) PolOff and UK PolOff responded that while the
completion of the recount is important, the results may be
flawed because of a lack of accountability in the chain of
custody of the ballot boxes. PolOff also reiterated demarche
points (ref B) regarding the current sensitivity of the
situation in Africa and the need to refrain from exacerbating
an already difficult situation through arms sales. Following
the meeting, UK PolOff said that British Political Director
Mark Lyall Grant, during an April 23 phone conversation with
Assistant Foreign Minister (AFM) He Yafei, had also raised
the topic of arms sales to Zimbabwe. AFM He responded that
China had "heard the message loud and clear."
PICCUTA