GRS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM F C O 201820Z SEP 79
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
AKK 184/2
25*3
RECEIVED MIRAGE NO.
INGO
2 1 SEP 1979
EGISTIA
TELEGRAM NO 539 OF 20 SEPTEMBER
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE)
YOUR TELS NOS 794 AND 795: CAAC
USE OF HEATHROW/GATWICK
See 254
1. WE ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT CAAC REMAIN INTRANSIGENT BUT HOPE
THAT THE INFORMATION NOW PASSED TO THEM AND THE FIRM LINE YOU
AND SULLIVAN TOOK MAY HAVE MADE THEM MORE READY TO BE FLEXIBLE,
THERE IS NO GIVE IN OUR POSITION. THE ONLY LEVER WITH THE CHINESE
WHICH WE SEEM TO HAVE IS THE TIMING OF THE PROPOSED SIGNATURE OF THE AGREEMENT., BECAUSE THE CHINESE MFA, LIKE OURSELVES, WELCOME THE PROPOSAL FOR ISGNATURE DURING HUA'S VISIT. WE AGREE THAT A
COMMITMENT TO SIGNATURE DURING HUA'S VISIT EVEN IF THE AIRPORTS ISSUE REMAINS UNRESOLVED WOULD REMOVE THIS LIMITED LEVERAGE, FURTHERMORE, WE SHOULD RISK FUTURE EMBARASSMENT, GIVEN THE UNDOUBTED ATTENDANT PUBLICITY, IF THE AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE OF CONTINUING DISAGREEMENT OVER THE AIRPORTS
ISSUE.
2. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD MAKE A FURTHER EFFORT WITH MFA AT THE MOST SENIOR LEVEL YOU CONSIDER
SUITABLE IN THE HOPE THAT CAAC CAN BE PERSUADED TO ACCEPT HMG'S AIRPORTS POLICY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THEM. IT SEEMS THAT A LARGE PART OF THE CHINESE OBJECTION IS PRIDE. YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO TRY TO PERSUADE THEM THAT GATWICK IS NOT THE NUMBER TWO, SECOND CLASS AIRPORT BUT NEAR ENOUGH EQUAL TO HEATHROW. YOU SHOULD SAY THAT
YOU BELIEVE THERE WOULD BE SERIOUS RESERVATIONS ABOUT SIGNATURE DURING HUA'S VISIT IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED BY THAT TIME. ARGUMENTS ARE LISTED IN PREVIOUS TELEGRAMS, NOTABLY OUR TELNO 497, BUT YOU SA SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE FOLLOWING:-
A. THE BRITISH CABINET HAS RECENTLY CONFIRMED CONTINUATION OF THE APRIL 1977 POLICY THAT NO NEW AIRLINE COMMENCING SERVICES TO LONDON MAY OPERATE TO HEATHROW. THIS WILL BE INCLUDED IN A STATEMENT ABOUT AIRPORTS POLICY WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE SHORTLY,
|B,
CONFIDENTIAL
་་་་་