CONFIDENTIAL
GRS 283
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 20840Z
TO PRIORITY FCO .
TELEGRAM NUMBER 573 OF 20 JUNE
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG.
A*K184
L
2 JUN 1979
NU. 01
INT
по
No 1825.1
E
(185
FOLLOWING FROM DELEGATION
OUR TELNO.569:
UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS
1. LU ASKED FOR A FURTHER TETE A TETE WITH ROGERS AT SHORT
NOTICE TODAY. IT QUICKLY EMERGED THAT HE WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT
THE PURPOSE TO BE SERVED BY THE PLENARIASESSION FOR WHICH WE
HAD ASKED (PARA 12 OF OUR TELNO.565) AND WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH
ROGERS INFORMALLY THE WAY AHEAD.
2.
ROGERS EXPLAINED THAT, ESPECIALLY AS THE TWO TEAMS HAD NOT NOW MET FOR A FULL MONTH, HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO
HOLD A PLENARY SESSION AT WHICH THE TWO SIDES COULD TAKE STOCK
OF THE SITUATION THAT HAD NOW BEEN REACHED AND COULD PLAN THE
WORK NEEDED TO FINISH OFF THE JOB. LU SEEMED MUCH RELIEVED
AT THIS.
3. DISCUSSION THEN TURNED TO THE DRAFTS WHICH HAD BEEN EX- CHANGED (PARA 2 OF TUR),': ROGERS SAID THAT THERE WERE CLEARLY
A NUMBER OF POINTS OF SUBSTANCE AS WELL AS DRAFTING TO BE SETTLED.
BUT HE DID NOT SEE HOW PROGRESS COULD BE MADE UNTIL THE TWO
SIDES HAD AGREED ON THE NATURE OF THE DOCUMENTS TO BE PRODUCED
AND THE WAY IN WHICH THEY WOULD FIT TOGETHER. LU TOOK THIS
POINT AND SAID HE WOULD WISH TO GIVE IT FURTHER THOUGHT.
LU ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE CHINESE
TO ENTER INTO ANY UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT AIR SERVICES TO BE OPERATED
BETWEEN HONG KONG AND A POINT IN THE PRC BY A BRITISH CARRIER WITHOUT MAKING SOME FORMAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE STATUS OF HONG KONG. IN THE LIGHT OF PARA 2 OF YOUR TELNO.307 OF 24 MAY ROGSS TRIED HARD TO RIDE HIM OFF THIS. LU UNDERTOOK TO GIVE THIS ALSO
FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
CONFIDENTIAL
Is.