GR 340
CONFIDENTIAL
་་
Hick 184/2
230CT 1279
PA
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 227652Z OCT 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 931 OF 22 OCTOBER 79
ము
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE)
YOUR TELNO 625: CAAC USE OF GATWICK/HEATHROW AND SIGNATURE
OF AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT
1.
ACTION WAS TAKEN WITH THE MFA ON 19 OCTOBER. ON 20
OCTOBER JIANG ENZHU OF WESTERN EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT TELEPHONED
BACK TO GIVE THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE: ** MINISTERS HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF HMG'S REPLY, AND IN VIEW OF IT THEY HAVE AS YĖT NOT DECIDED WHETHER OR NOT THE AGREEMENT WILL BE SIGNED.
NEVERTHELESS THE CHINESE SIDE WILL CONTINUE WITH PREPARATIONS
"FOR SIGNATURE AS IF IT WERE TO TAKE PLACE''. (WE TAKE THIS
TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR REPLY AND A BALANCING RESERVATION ON THEIR SIDE).
2. · JIANG WENT ON TO SAY THAT IN VIEW OF THIS, STEPS OUGHT TO
BE TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT THE AGREED SOLUTION OF THE POLITICAL PROBLEM
RELATING TO CHINA AIRLINES. HE WAS THEREFORE NOW IN A POSITION
TO CONFIRM THAT THE WORDING OF THE PUBLIC STATEMENT
WAS
ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. HE HOPED THAT I
COULD SEND A LETTER
TO
ASSISTANT MINISTER SONG ZHIGUANG BEFORE MY DEPARTURE FOR THE
UK.
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
THIS IS A COPY CONFIDENTIAL
13. SULLIVAN
CLOSED UNTIL
UNDER FOI
EXEMPTION No 27.9.6.4.&..
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