GPG 280
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207
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FM PEKING 1087882 JUL 79
> ROUTINE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 631 OF 10 JULY
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG,
UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS.
HKK 184/2
A
1, NIGEL WADE, DAILY TELEGRAPH CORRESPONDENT, ASKED FOR AN INTERVIEW PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE ON TEN DAY VISIT TO TIBET.
..
2. FIRST SECRETARY EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO GO INTO
ANY DETAIL ABOUT THE TALKS, AND IN LIGHT OF PREVIOUS DISAPPOINT- MENTS REFUSED TO BE DRAWN ON WHETHER WE WERE LIKELY TO REACH AGREEMENT IN THE COMING WEEK. IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS HE AGREED THAT THE LENGTH OF THE TALKS WAS CONNECTED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF .
ESTABLISHING SERVICEES BETWEEN HONG "ONG AND CHINA AS WELL AS BETWEEN PEKING AND LONGON, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE IN 1973... ASKED WHETHER, IN VIEW OF THE COMPOSITION OF OUR DELEGATION, BA WOULD BE OPERATING THE TRUNK SERVICES AND CPA THE HONG KONG SERVICES, SULLIVAN REPLIED THAT THE DESIGNATION OF
AIRLINES HAD NOT YET BEEN DECIDED. ON THE QUESTION OF WHO HAD SUGGESTED INCORPORATING THE HONG KONG SERVICES ON THE TALKS, HE SAID THAT BOTH SIDES HAD AN INTEREST IN SEEING THE DEVELOP-
PENT OF SUCH SERVICES, AND IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT THEY WOULD BE
DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF AIR SERVICES TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO.
SIDES. ASKED WHETHER THE DIFFICULTITIES WITH HONG KONG WERE
CONNECTED WITH DIFFERING VIEWS OVER THE STATUS, SULLIVAN SAID
THAT BOTH SIDES WISHED TO COOPERATE ON A PRCTICAL BASIS, BUT FINDING JUST THE RIGHT WAYS AND MEANS WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO EITHER
SIDE'S POSITION COULD TAKE TIME, THERE WERE ALSO COMMERCIAL
AND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS TO BE DEALT WITH.
3.
- SOME OF THIS MAY APPEAR IN THE TELEGRAPH QUOTING QUOTE
SOURCES CLOSE TO THE NECOTIATIONS UNQUOTE.
❤
GEORGE
FILES
MAED
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
SIR A DUFF
FED
HK & GD
OID
IPD
NEWS D PS/PUS
LORD GM LENNOX
MR BUTLER
MISS BROWN
MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY
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