A South African union has refused to unload arms from a Chinese ship destined for Zimbabwe, in a politically charged move challenging South African President Thabo Mbeki’s handling of relations with the neighboring state.
The vessel, An Yue Jiang, is believed to be carrying 77 tonnes of small arms, including more than 3 million rounds of ammunition, AK-47 assault rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.
Copies of the documentation for the Chinese ship show that the weapons were to be delivered from Beijing to the Ministry of Defense in Harare.
Headed “Dangerous goods description and container packing certificate,” the document was issued on April 1 — three days after Zimbabwe’s election.
CONSIGNMENT
It lists the consignment as including 3.5 million rounds of ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles and for small arms; 1,500 40mm rockets; 2,500 mortar shells of 60mm and 81mm caliber; and 93 cases of mortar tubes.
The carrier is listed as the Cosco shipping company in China.
South African unions have been highly critical of Mbeki for not taking a tougher line against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who is locked in an election stalemate with the opposition over the delay of results from a March 29 election that has raised fears of violence.
The 300,000-strong South African Transport and Allied Workers Union said it would not unload the weapons in the port city of Durban because Mugabe’s government might use them to crack down on opponents in the disputed election.
“We are concerned that the current standoff could mean the arms would fall into the hands of those who want to use military force against the people of Zimbabwe,” union general secretary Randall Howard said yesterday.
“The South African government cannot be seen as propping up a military regime,” he said.
Howard said the union refused to handle four containers on the vessel which contain arms and ammunition.
NO INTERFERENCE
A South African government spokesman has confirmed there are weapons on the ship, but said his country would not interfere in a trade matter between China and Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said yesterday that no party had the right to stop the shipment.
“Every country has got a right to acquire arms. There is nothing wrong with that. If they are for Zimbabwe, they will definitely come to Zimbabwe,” he told South Africa’s SAfm radio.
“How they are used, when they are going to be used is none of anybody’s business,” he said.
The An Yue Jiang has been cleared to dock and unload its cargo in Durban, transport officials said.
China is under an international spotlight over its human rights record and rule in Tibet ahead of hosting the Olympics in August. Violent protests have followed the Olympic torch across the globe.
Mugabe is under heavy international pressure to release the result of the presidential election, which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change says it won, ending the veteran leader’s long rule.
Also see: Mugabe accuses opposition of plotting with Britain
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS