AN YUE JIANG - ANOTHER TAKE ON THE FATE OF CHINESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUANDA 000562 FOR AF/S AND EAP/CM E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018 TAGS: PREL ETRD PHSA CH ZI AO SUBJECT: AN YUE JIANG - ANOTHER TAKE ON THE FATE OF CHINESE ARMS DESTINED FOR ZIMBABWE REF: A. LUANDA 367 ¶B. LUANDA 333 Classified By: Dan W. Mozena, Reasons 1.5b and 1.5d. ¶1. (C ) Although we do not yet know definitively whether or not the Angolans off-loaded in April Zimbabwe-bound arms and ammunition from the Chinese vessel An Yue Jiang, Embassy has received additional unconfirmed information that the Angolans, true to their word, did not allow the materiel destined for Zimbabwe to be off-loaded in Angola. During a July 15 dinner with Chinese-speaking Pol/EconOff, Chinese cement importer Wu Hongxin said he had visited often the area where the An Yue Jiang was docked as he had a vessel next in line waiting to unload a shipment for him. Hongxin said that during these numerous visits he witnessed the Zimbabwe-consigned military cargo being unloaded from the vessel, the Angola-bound cargo located under the Zimbabwe cargo then being off-loaded, and the Zimbabwe materiel then being reloaded back on to the ship. According to Hongxin, the vessel left the port with the Zimbabwe munitions on board. ¶2. (C ) Comment: we pass this account on for whatever it may be worth to analysts and others trying to piece together the fate of the An Yue Jiang's cargo. MOZENA