P
GR 133
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 101230Z
FM PEKING 109935Z MAY 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 426 OF 13 MAY 79
AND TO IMMEDIATE DOT AND HONG KONG INFO HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
40
HKF184/2011
PROVED IN US
INDEX
Мо
1 1 MAY 1979
See (93)
REGISTRY Agtien Take ·
MY TELNOS 424 AND 425: UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS
1. CAAC HAVE LET US KNOW THAT THE TEAM WILL BE WELCOME TO COME OUT ON 17 MAY, BUT THAT THEY WILL NOT DISCUSS SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND INTERIOR CITIES OR CHINA AT THE TALKS. THEY HAVE ASKED US TO LET THEM KNOW ON 11 MAY WHETHER THE TEAM IS PREPARED TO COME OUT ON THIS UNDERSTANDING.
2. SEEN FROM PEKING, THE ANSWER MIGHT AS WELL BE YES. LI MADE IT CLEAR THIS MORNING THAT THE QUESTION OF THE HONG KONG/ PEKING SECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL ROUTE COULD BE DISCUSSED.
3. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR REPLY DESK3Y 1102053Z.
4. SEE ALSO M.1.F.T. (NOT TO ALL)
CRADOCK
FILES
MAED
FED
HKYGD
LEGAL ADVISERS. MR CORTAZZ! MISS BROWN. MR MURRAY
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIESTO
HONG KONG GOUT OFFICE
COMME
५०
RS 500
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 101270Z
FM PEKING 100845Z MAY 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 424 OF 10 MAY
HKK 184/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NOT
INDEX
ло
1 1 MAY 1979
PA
8115
REGISTRY Action Toke
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (COVERNOR AND BCARFE), DOT, AND ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
83
See (92)
13
YOUR TELNOS 251 AND 252: UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS
1.
HEAD OF CHANCERY CALLED ON CAAC DEPUTY DIRECTOR LI SHUF AN ON 12 MAY TO HAND OVER THE AMENDED TEXT. HE SPOKE AS IN YOUR SECOND TUR AND ASKED FOR EARLY CONFIRMATION THAT THE TEAM WOULD BE WELCOME ON 17 MAY TO BEGIN TALKS ON 18 MAY,
2. LI EXPRESSED DISMAY AT THE LARGE NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS THAT WERE APPARENTLY BEING PROPOSED. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD HOPED THAT NEGOTIATIONS COULD BE BROUGHT TO A QUICK CONCLUSION ON THE BASIS OF THE AGREED 1973 DRAFT, BUT THE UK SIDE WERE NOW PROPOSING AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING AMENDMENTS TO THE ANNEX, WHICH WERE AMEND-- MENTS OF SUBSTANCE, AND NOT MERELY TECHNICAL. CAAC WOULD NEED TIME TO STUDY THESE PROPOSALS IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER RELEVANT
DEPARTMENTS, HE COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY SAY WHETHER THEY WOULD BE READY TO RECEIVE THE DELEGATION ON THE DATE WE HAD PROPOSED. THE CHINESE WERE KEEN TO REACH QUICK AGREEMENT, BUT THEY DID NOT WANT TO START NEGOTIATIONS WHICH WOULD NOT LEAD IN ONE SESSION TO AN AGREED DRAFT. THEY MIGHT THEREFORE NEED TIME FULLY TO PREPARE THEMSELVES.
3. GEORGE EXPLAINED THAT THE AMENDMENTS WE HAD SUGGESTED, ALTHOUGH FAIRLY NUMEROUS, SHOULD NOT CREATE DIFFICULTIES FOR THE CHINESE SIDE.
MOST OF THEM RESULTED FROM CHINESE.ACCESSION TO THE ICAO AND THE TOKYO CONVENTION, OR WERE CONSEQUENT ON OUR WISH TO SEE THE AGREEMENT BROADENED TO COVER THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE THAN
ONE AIRLINE OPERATING THE AGREED ROUTES. HE STILL HOPED THAT
AFTER STUDYING THE TEXT WE HAD HANDED OVER CAAC WOULD AGREE THAT
THE NEGOTIATIONS MIGHT START NEXT WEEK ON THIS BASIS. LI PROMISED
THAT THE TEXT WOULD BE EXAMINED QUICKLY AND AN ANSWER GIVEN AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
CONTIDE TEL
• k
14.
-
CONFIDE
4.
AS FAR AS THE HONG KONG QUESTION WAS CONCERNED, LI STATED FIRMLY AND REPEATEDLY THAT THE CHINESE WISHED TO SEE REGIONAL SERVICES DEALT WITH SEPARATELY AFTER THE MAIN ROUTE BETWEEN LONDON AND PEKING HAD BEEN DEALT WITH IN AN AGREEMENT. THE SPECIAL NATURE OF FLIGHTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND POINTS IN CHINA (HE MEN- TIONED GUANGZHOU, SHANGHAI AND GUILIN) WAS SOMETHING BEST LEFT FOR DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND CAAC IN
GUANGZHOU,
5.
GEORGE PROMISIED TO REPORT LI'S COMMENTS. HE VENTURED THE VIEW THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DIVORCE THE QUESTION ENTIRELY FROM THE TRUNK ROUTE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE LATTER PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG. LI REPLIED THAT HONG KONG AS A STOPPING POINT IN THE LONDON-PEKING ROUTE WAS AN ISSUE THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ASA NEGOTIATIONS, AND HE FELT THAT THE TWO SIDES SHOULDNME ABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THE DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS IN THIS REGARD.
6. FOR COMMENT SEE MIFT.
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