GRS 390
ISTEDIATE
CY CAT A
FM PEKING 090415Z OCT
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
_HKK 184/1
RA
51
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 631 OF 09 OCT.
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.
(WR
No. KG
See 601
YCR TELEGRAMS NOS. 598-600: AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT
1. WE SHARE THE RESERVATIONS PUT FORWARD IN HONG KONG TELNO, 1180 ABOUT SUGGESTING A FORM OF WORDS TO SUNG AT THIS STAGE.
2. WE AGREE WITH THE GENERAL LINE PROPOSED IN PARAGRAPH 1 OF YOUR TELNO, 598, TO SUGGEST THAT THE LATTER PART BE REDRAFTED: **AND TO PRESS HUANG HUA TO SHOW THE POLITICAL WILL TO OVER- COME ANY REMAINING OBSTACLES''.
3* ONE POINT WHICH IS NOT BROUGHT OUT IN THE SUMMARY OF RESEARCH DEPARTMENT'S MINUTE IS THAT THERE HAS, SO FAR AS WE KNOW, NEVER BEEN A FORMAL AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UK OR HONG KONG AND TAIWAN. WE THUS START FROM A RATHER DIFF- ERENT POSITION FROM THE JAPANESE, WHOSE AGREEMENT WITH THE TAIWANESE HAD TO BE TERMINATED. (WE ARE ALSO INCIDENTALLY IN A DIFFERENT POSITION FROM THE THAIS, REFERRED TO IN MY TELE- Ne
le LETTER OF 25 SEPTEMBER.) KXHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS THE MEANS
OF ENSURING THE CONTINUATION OF THE (NEXT TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) STATUS QUO ON HONG KONG/TAIWAN AIR SERVICES: THE NEED FOR ANY GOVERNMENT RESTATEMENT OF THE POSITION ON TAIWAN IS THAT MUCH
LESS STRONG.
4. IF THEREFORE OFFICIALS WANT TO SAY ANYTHING TO SUNG, IT MIGHT PERHAPS BE TO EMPHASISE THE DIFFERENCE OF OUR POSITION, WHICH SHOULD MAKE SOME LOW-KEY ARRANGEMENT THAT MUCH MORE EASY. ANY FALL-BACK POSITION WOULD EMERGE BETTER IN THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATION, WHEN WE KNOW THAT THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO SETTLE FOR LESS. IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO GET AWAY WITH SOME FORM OF WORDS IN THE PREAMBLE TO AN AGREEMENT. A SEPAR- ATE STATEMENT HAS THAT MUCH GREATER CHANCE OF PROMOTING A TAIWANESE REACTION.
CONFIDENTIAL
Sob
15.
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