GR 533
IMMEDIATE
CONFIDENTIAL
KDY 170100Z (HONG KONG ONLY)
HKK 000/1
also av.
v.184/1
R
Ko.
CYPHER CAT A
INDEX
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FM F C 0 1618977
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DESKBY 1701892 (HONG KONG ONLY)
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING TEL NO 630 OF 16 OCTOBER
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (DESKBY 179100Z).
VISIT OF THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER: AIR SERVICES.
1.
165
DURING HIS TALKS WITH SUNG (F C O TEL NO 623 REFERS) CORTAZZI
REFERRED TO THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND
HUANG HUA ON AN AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT. HE COMMENTED THAT BRITISH
NEWSPAPERS HAD REFERRED TO THE PROPOSED CHARTER FLIGHTS BETWEEN
HONG KONG AND CANTON AS A QUOTE REGULAR SERVICE UNQUOTE.
HAD REFERRED TO THE JAPANESE PRECEDENT. BUT UNLIKE JAPAN,
UK HAD NEVER HAD AN AS A WITH TAIWAN. THE U K DID NOT RECOGNISE
TAIWAN AND HAD NO RELATIONS WITH THE AUTHORITIES THERE.
MR HUANG
THE
2. SUNG SAID THAT HUANG HAD COVERED THIS QUESTION IN PRINCIPLE
IN HIS TALKS WITH DR OWEN, HE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A MORE DETAILED
ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE POSITION. IT WAS TRUE THAT NO FORMAL AIR
AGREEMENT EXISTED BETWEEN THE UK AND TAIWAN. BUT IT WAS ALSO TRUE
THAT THE SO-CALLED STATE AIRLINE, C A L, FLEW INTO HONG KONG AND HAD OFFICES THERE. IF THE UK AND CHINA OPENED AIR SERVICES, CAAC AND CAL PLANES WOULD BOTH FLY INTO HONG KONG. THIS WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT
TO A QUOTE TWO CHINA'S SITUATION UNQUOTE IN HONG KONG AND WAS UN- ACCEPTABLE. IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, CHINA HAD ASKED THAT THE INSIG- NIA ON C A L PLANES SHOULD BE REMOVED AND THE NAME REMOVED FROM
THE CAL OFFICE IN HONG KONG. IN VIEW OF THE DIFFICULTIES THESE
CONDITIONS POSED FOR THE UK SIDE, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SUBSEQUENTLY SAID THAT THEY COULD BE LEFT OVER FOR LATER SOLUTION, BUT THAT THE
UK SHOULD MAKE A STATEMENT THAT CAL WAS NOT A COMPANY REPRESENTING
A STATE : THAT THE UK DID NOT RECOGNISE THE INSIGNIA ON CAL PLANES
AS A NATIONAL FLAG : THAT C A L'S OFFICE AND THE NAME OF THE TAIWAN
/AIRLINE
CONFIDENTIAL