CONFIDENTAL
Harvey/
RECEIVED IN BO2*
ARS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 190845Z FEB 79
TO PRIORITY F C O
1441
7
115
TELEGRAM NUMBER 289 OF 19 FEBRUARY
DESK OFFK20 NDEX
No! J20.2.
AC
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, ROUTINE HONG KONG COVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
PEKING TELNO 171: AIR SERVICES.
1. THE JARDINES REPRESENTATIVE WHO DEALS WITH AVIATION LINKS WITH CHINA: LIN BAOLING, HAS JUST RETURNED FROM A VISIT TO CHINA. HE SAYS HE WAS TOLD BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAAC'S INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, LI SHUFAN, AND BY THE CAAC MANAGER IN CANTON THAT THEY WERE, WITH DISAPPOINTMENT, CONTEMPLATING THE END OF THE SCHEDULED HONG KONG/CANTON FLIGHTS AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. LIN CLAIMS THEY ASKED HIM WHETHER ARRANGEMENTS COULD NOT BE MADE TO. BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE END OF THE MONTH AND EARLY APRIL WHEN IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO START A NEW SERIES OF CHARTER FLIGHTS FOR THE CANTON SPRING TRADE FAIR. (IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT LIN WAS.. HIMSELF PUSHING THIS IDEA SINCE JARDINES HAVE, OF COURSE, A VESTED INTEREST IN THE CONTINUATION OF THE FLIGHTS).
2. IN ADDITION, LIN QUOTED ONE OF LI'S ASSISTANTS AS SAYING THAT THE FORMULA ON TAIWAN PUT FORWARD BY THE EMBASSY WAS NOW ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE. IT IS HARD TO ASSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS REMARK. THE LEVEL OF THE INTERLOCUTORS DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT
FOR THE PASSING OF A SPECIFIC HINT.
3. LIN ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THE EMBARRASSMENT AND DISRUPTION WHICH WOULD BE CAUSED IF THE FLIGHTS ENDED IN JUST OVER A WEEK. WE SAID THAT THE BALL WAS FIRMLY IN THE CHINESE COURT. THEY HAD NOT ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE FLIGHTS, NOR HAD THEY RESPONDED ON BRITISH ASA PROPOSALS, DESPITE REMARKS THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO DO SO.
4. IN ANSWER TO LIN'S QUERY ABOUT WHAT ADVICE HE SHOULD GIVE TO
THE CHINESE CIVIL AVAITION AUTHORITIES WE SUGGESTED THAT HE
SHOULD SPEAK AS FOLLOWS TO CAAC IN CANTON AND PEKING: THE HONG
KONG AUTHORITIES HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE'S
EXISTING PERMIT EXPIRED ON 23 FEBRUARY: THEY HAVE SAID THAT IT
•/ WOULD BE. A
CONFIDENTAL