GR 290
Diswash with her Hall of MeADD. He won miclave draft wire
to
Jos.
."
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 261100Z
FM HONG KONG 261005Z MAR 79
R+R
HECK_184/1
2 6 MAR 1979
JAK OF
AM NEX
PA
173
Ло
1J293
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.414 OF 26 MARCH,
INFO PRIORITY: WASHINGTON, PEKING.
YOUR TELNO.205 : PROHIBITION ON U.S CARRIERS SERVING
HONG KONG AND POINTS IN THE PRC.
1. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO US AND WE FEEL THAT THERE IS A SOUND AVIATION ARGUMENT FOR CONTINUING TO DENY U.S AIRLINES THIS FACILITY. AS MATTERS STAND, USA-HKG-PRC TRAFFIC
WILL HAVE TO DISEMBARK AT HONG KONG AND TRAVEL TO PRC BY CAAC, AND VICE VERSA. IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT PROVISION WILL SOON BE MADE FOR BRITISH CARRIERS TO OPERATE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND POINTS IN THE THE PRC AND SO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN CARRYING THIS TRAFFIC. CONCESSION WHICH YOU PROPOSE TO GIVE THE AMERICANS IS THEREFORE A WORTHWHILE ONE BUT THERE IS NOTHING OF COMPARABLE VALUE THAT WE
REQUIRE FROM THE AMERICANS.
2. FURTHERMORE, IT SEEMS TO US THAT THE TIMING WOULD BE WRONG TO MAKE A CONCESSION OF THIS SORT WHEN WE MAY VERY SOON BE INVOLVED IN AIR SERVICES TALKS WITH THE PRC. AS YOU KNOW, THE PRC POSITION ON HONG KONG-CHINA AIR SERVICES APPEARS TO BE DIFFERENT FROM HMG'S. AS WE HAVE STATED IN OUR TELNO.211 OF 6 FEB, WE ARE ANXIOUS TO AVOID DAMAGING WRANGLES ABOUT THE STATUS OF HONG KONG WITH THE CHINESE AND THE GRANTING OF THE KIND OF CONCESSION NOW CONTEMPLATED MIGHT MAKE SUCH A POSSIBILITY UNAVOIDABLE.
CONFIDENTIAL
13. IN