555
GR 345
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
FM HONG KONG 121015Z
CONFIDENTIAL
692
CONFIDENTIAL
REAN
2.1
HKR 184/1
NO. 51 73
OC OFFICER INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 1194 OF 12 OCTOBER 1978
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, ROUTINE. HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
MY TELNO 1162: NON-SCHEDULED FLIGHTS CANTON/HONG KONG.
THE FIRST NON-SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT ARRIVED TODAY. IT HAD
ON BOARD A NUMBER OF DIGNITARIES FROM CANTON INCLUDING LQ FAN-CH’UN (VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE CANTON REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE AND OF THE CANTON TRADE FAIR) AND MA FU (DIRECTOR OF THE KWANGTUNG FOREIGN WITH AFFAIRS OFFICE). AT MY INVITATION, BOTH THE LATTER CALLED, WANG KUANG, FIRST DIRECTOR OF NCNA.
2. LO SAID HE HOPED IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE FURTHER NON-SCHEDULED FLIGHTS AFTER THE PRESENT AGREEMENT HAD ENDED.
PASSENGERS COULD THEN INCLUDE MORE THAN JUST BUSINESSMEN ATTENDING THE CANTON FIAR, EG TOURISTS OR OVERSEAS CHINESE VISITING
RELATIVES. I SAID I WELCOMED ANY ARRANGEMENT WHICH MADE TRAVEL BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES EASTER, ADDING THAT, IF FLIGHTS CONTINUED, I MIGHT WISH TO SUGGEST THAT A LOCAL FIRM SHOULD ALSO PARTICIPATE. WE AGREED THAT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS COULD TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE NORMAL CHANNELS.
3. HE MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF A 'THROUGH TRAIN'. I SAID
THAT IF IT WILL MAKE THE JOURNEY QUICKER MY WE WOULD GLADLY DISCUSS THE TECHNICAL DETAILS.
4. 1 MENTIONED THE LARGE NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS: AS AN ADMINISTRATOR
I WISHED THEM TO BE AWARE OF THE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE PRESENT FLOW. THEY SAID THEY HAD GREAT DIFFICULTIES. ON PRINCIPLE THEY DISLIKED REFUSING TRAVEL DOCUMENTS TO THOSE VISITING THEIR RELATIVES, BUT THEY HAD ALREADY TAKEN SOME MEASURES
TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH THEY ADMITTED THAT THEIR
CONFIDENTIAL
/EFFORTS