CONTIDENTIAL
GRS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
PEKING 230745Z FEB 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 259 OF 23 FEB
Ack184/2 (LA
31
2 6 FEB 1979
INFO HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR, BCARFE, ALSO PLEASE PASS TO ROGERS
YOUR TELNO 179: UK/CHINA AIR SERVICES
INDEX
No 1827.2. J
Take
See 12 14 13
CUI
1. HEAD OF CHANCERY TOOK ACTION ON 23 FEBRUARY WITH MFA. CUI MINGTANG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF WED, REGRETTED THAT CHINESE CONSIDER- ATION WAS TAKING SO LONG (SEMI COLON) BUT MANY THINGS HAD
CHANGED SINCE WE HAD PUT OUR FORMULA TO THEM ON 1 DECEMBER. REPEATED THAT THE MATTER WAS UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION, BUT THEY PROBABLY COULD NOT GIVE AN ANSWER FOR A FEW DAYS YET. PICKING UP. CUI'S REMARK ABOUT CHANGES, GEORGE WONDERED WHETHER A STATEMENT WAS STILL NECESSARY, AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE WERE NOT PRESSING FOR IT.
2. THANKING HEAD OF CHANCERY FOR DOT'S WILLINGNESS TO EXTEND THE CAAC PERMIT, CUI PROMISED TO PASS THE MESSAGE ON. HE INDICATED HOWEVER THAT THERE WERE DOUBTS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY OF THE TRIDENT FOR THE SHORT HONG KONG/GUANGZHOU ROUTE, PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE WERE ADEQUATE TRAIN AND HOVERCRAFT SERVICES. GEORGE REMINDED CUÍ OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF GETTING FROM PEKING TO HONG KONG IN ONE
DAY.
3.
COMMENT: IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE SHALL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EXER-. CISE PATIENCE. HONG KONG TELNO 314 SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM OVER EXTENDING THE HONG KONG/GUANGZHOU ARRANGEMENTS IS CHINESE DISLIKE OF ANY LINKAGE BETWEEN UK/CHINA SCHEDULED SERVICES AND REGIONAL BUT WE SERVICES RATHER THAN THE ECONOMIC POINT WHICH CUI MADE. HAVE NEVER GONE SO FAR AS TO MAKE THE ASA A FORMAL PRE-CONDITION TO THE CONTINUATION OF REGIONAL FLIGHTS.
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