ાર મન
ENCLAIR
FM F C 0 11735Z
UNCLASSIFIED
4K 784/1000/1
← MAR 1978
DECK OFF..
INDEX
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 168 OF 1 MARCH
FOR GOVERNOR FROM BRAY.
DIPLOMATIC AND COMMONWEALTH WRITERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL DINNER.
AT THE COCKTAIL PARTY BEFORE THIS DINNER I SPOKE TO MR SUN WEN-
FANG, CORRESPONDENT OF THE KWANGMING DAILY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
HE SAID HE WAS SHORTLY GOING TO CHINA TO COVER THE CONGRESS AND
I ASKED HOW HE WOULD TRAVEL. HE SAID VIA PARIS, WHAT WERE WE DOING
ABOUT THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT THROUGH HONG KONG? 1 FOUND IT
DIFFICULT TO ANSWER AS I HAD NO IDEA WHETHER NEW NEGOTIATIONS WERE
IN HAND AND PASSED IT OFF BY SAYING THAT ALTHOUGH PEOPLE COULD NOT
FLY IN AND OUT OF CHINA, WE HAD BEEN SENSIBLE ENOUGH TO ARRANGE FOR
SHANGHAI CRAMBS TO MAKE A ONE-WAY TRIP. HE DID NOT LET THE MATTER
CROP AND WANTED TO PURSUE 17, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO SAY WHERE THE FAULT LAY, HE MUTTERED ABOUT TAIWAN, BUT I SAID WE HAD NO RELATIONS
MTH TAIWAN AND DID NOT EVEN HAVE A STATE AIRLINE THOUGH CATHAY
PACIFIC CARRY A GOOD DEAL OF TRAFFIC THERE. HE SAID HE THOUGHT
TAIWAN NEEDED HONG KONG MORE THAN HONG KONG NEEDED TAIWAN AND I
AGREED. IS ANYTHING HAPPENING ON THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH
GINA?
SHORTLY AFTER I LEFT HIM, HE TOLD MR BOXALL AND A COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION (LAWRENCE FRENCH-FAR EAST TRADE AND
DEVELOPMENT) THAT CHINA HAD RECENTLY MADE AGREEMENT UNDER WHICH
CHINA WOULD BUY COAL MINING EQUIPMENT FROM BRITAIN AND SELL CO AL
TO HONG KONG FOR THE CHINA LIGHT POWER STATION. HE SAID THE
AGREEMENT HAD RECENTLY BEEN REACHED AND HAD DEFINITELY BEEN
CONCLUDED.
EITHER
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