CONFIDENTIAL
MR ROYLE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG :
11
15 NOVEMBER 1972
BRIEF NO 9
HONG KONG/CANTON AIR LINK
1. This question must be considered in the context of the
inter-governmental Air Services Agreement which we hope to
negotiate with the Chinese in the near future. A preliminary
meeting was held between DTI officials and the CAAC Delegation
which visited the United Kingdom in September. The DTI team
received the firm impression that the Chinese wanted an Air
Services Agreement but that they were not prepared to discuss
substantive points during the preliminary meeting.
2. The Hong Kong-Canton link is not the first priority for us
in negotiating an ASA. Our first priority should be a BOAC route
to Peking, although BOAC's first preference is to enter China via
Hong Kong. Whichever way one considers it Hong Kong considerably
complicates the question of the Air Services Agreement. First
the Chinese regard Hong Kong as an integral part of China. The
CAAC delegation told the DTI that in their view we would have two
points in China, ie Hong Kong and another point. In discussions
with the Canadians the Chinese have said that routeings between
Hong Kong and points in China would be regarded as internal
routeings. We shall clearly face problems on this point when
negotiations begin.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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