CONFIDENTIAL
457
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CRS 320
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKREP ICAO MONTREAL 112046Z OCT 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 13 OF 11 OCTOBER
AND TO IMMEDIATE BEIJING HONG KONG
CAAC NOTAM 19 AMBER ONE AIRWAY.
IN.
12 OCT 1979
See .440
FURTHER TO MY PRIORITY TELNO 12 CF 10 OCTOBER, 1979
QA
J
1a PRESCIDENT OF ICAO HAS INFORMED CAAC THAT UNLESS HE GETS A POSITIVE REPLY TO HIS REPRESENTATIONS DEFORE THE WEEKEND HE WILL BE OBLIGED TO BRING THE MATTER BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF ICAO WHO HAVE UP TO NOW BEEN KEPT IN THE DARK(PRESIDENT HAS ONLY SPOKEN TO CHINESE AND TO HE AND THE US REP ABOUT IT).
•
25 IF HE DOES SO, HE WILL DO IT BY CIRCULATING A MEMORANDUM TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, SETTING CUT THE FACTS, AND THE ACTION HE HAS
TAKEN WHICH WILL PUT THE CHINESE ADMINISTRATION IN A POOR LIGHT.
IT WOULD THEN ALSO BE OPEN TO ANY COUNCIL MEMBER OR MEMBER STATE
TO CALL FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. HOWEVER, THIS SEEMS UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN, UNLESS USSR OR CZECHOSLOVAK COUNCIL MEMBER SAW A POLITICAL GAIN IN IT. VIETUAM 1S NOT A MOMBER STATE AT PRESENT (OWING TO THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT
SUCCESSOR STATUS TO 3. VIETNAM, WHICH WAS FORMERLY A MEMBER, WILE K. VISTIAN WAS NOT). THUS VIETNAM WOULD HAVE NO LOCUS IN CALLING FOR
AN ICAO DEBATE, AND NO-ONE ELSE SEEMS LIKELY TO.
3.
SHOULD THE PROBLEM PERSIST UNTIL THE REGULAR ICAO COUNCIL
PROGRAMME DEGINS IN MID-NOVEMBER, HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE EASY FOR ANY
TEMBER TO BRING THE MATTER UP. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR
NSTRUCTIONS AGAINST SUCH AN EVENTUALITY.
4, MEAWHILE THE SUCCESS OF PRESIDENT ICAO'S EFFORTS IS DEPENDENT
C1 QUR 18SISTING THAT AMBER ONE 30 KEPT OPEN. HE HAS EARNESTLY
PEQUESTED ME TO UNCE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES NOT REPEAT NOT TO ISSUE
10CAM CLOSING MIBER ONE AND OFFERING RE-ROUTING R85/R66 UNTIL AFTER
1042 CONTINGENCY PLANNING MEETING TO BE HELD IN BANGKOK DURING
CONFIVENTIAL
/WEEK