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CONFIDENTIAL
CONTIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 060935Z FEB 79
TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELNO.211 OF 6 FEBRUARY,
Rek
HKE 1841.1
заг
INFO PRIORITY: PEKING,
ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
No
PEKING TELNO.147: AIR SERVICES,
Jalzif
כון
110
1. 1 AM GLAD TO SEE FROM PEKING'S TEL UNDER REF THAT THE CHINESE
SEEM LIKELY TO RESPOND SOON ON THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT. TIME IS RUNNING SHORT. THERE ARE ONLY THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE PRESENT PERMIT FOR THE CANTON SERVICE EXPIRES. I UNDERSTAND YOUR WISH TO USE LOCAL SERVICES TO CANTON AS A LEVER TO GET THE A.S. A FORMALLY SIGNED. BUT I AM MOST ANXIOUS THAT WE SHOULD NOT OVERPLAY OUR
HAND BY FORCING THE CANTON SERVICE TO END IF WE HAVE NOT BY THEN
GOT WHAT WE WANT ON THE A.S.A. THERE WOULD BE AN OUTCRY HERE IF
WE DID SO. IT WOULD ALSO DAMAGE THE CO-OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP
WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD UP WITH CHINA ON HONG KONG MATTERS. 1
HOPE YOU WILL BE PREPARED TO EXTEND THE CANTON SERVICE ON GENEROUS
TERMS IF THE CHINESE ARE SLOWER IN RESPONDING THAN WE WOULD WISH
OR IF, AS SEEMS LIKELY, NEGOTIATIONS ON AN A.S. A CONTINUE BEYOND
THE END OF THIS MONTH,
2. IT IS CLEAR FROM SHEN TU'S REMARKS TO THE D. C. A (MY TELNO.189)
THAT THE CHINESE STILL SEE A MARKED DISTINCTION BETWEEN TRUNK
SERVICES, SUCH AS WOULD BE COVERED BY AN A.S.A, AND 'REGIONAL '' SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA WHICH THE CHINESE MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN CONCEDING PUBLICLY AS ANYTHING MORE THAN DOMESTIC" SERVICES. GOING ALONG WITH THIS DISTINCTION IS IN OUR INTERESTS
SINCE IT HELPS TO AVOID DAMAGING WRANGLES ABOUT THE STATUS OF
HONG KONG WITHOUT RESTRICTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA/H.K AIR.
SERVICES.
}
3. IN THE NEXT STAGE OF DISCUSSIONS ON THE A.S.A I SUGGEST THAT
WE MAKE THE DISTINCTION EXPLICIT BY SAYING THAT WE ARE PREPARED
TO CONSIDER SEPARATELY, (A) THE TRUNK SERVICE FOR BRITISH AIRWAYS,
CONFIDENTIAL
/ AND (3) REGIONAL