GR 740
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 220942Z NOV 82
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1355 OF 22 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
HONG KONG FLIGHT INFORMATION REGION
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A DELEGATION OF CAAC OFFICIALS LED BY LI SHU FAN, DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, CALLED ON KEEP (DCA) ON 19 NOVEMBER AND UNEXPECTEDLY LAUNCHED INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
2. OBVIOUSLY, THE FORTHCOMING ICAO 2ND ASIA/PACIFIC REGIONAL AIR NAVIGATION MEETING TO BE HELD IN SINGAPORE IS EXERCISING THE MINDS OF CAAC OFFICIALS AND LI STARTED BY SAYING THAT THE HONG KONG FIR SHOULD BE EXTENDED SOUTHWARDS. AFTER PROBING IT APPEARS THAT LI HAD IN MIND THAT THE PRESENT HONG KONG AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY'' SHOULD BE FORMALLY INCLUDED WITHIN THE HONG KONG FLIGHT INFORMATION REGION. NO DETAILED PROPOSALS AS TO HOW THIS MIGHT BE BROUGHT ABOUT WERE MADE ALTHOUGH LI REMARKED, ALMOST IN PASSING, THAT A DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG, MANILA AND SINGAPORE WOULD BE USEFUL. THIS PROPOSAL IS OBVIOUSLY AN ATTEMPT TO GUIDE US ALONG A PATH TO FORESTALL THE POSSIBILITY OF VIETNAM REGAINING THE CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA THROUGH REINSTATEMENT OF THE HO CHI MIN FIR. LI THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE PRESENT SITUATION REGARDING FLIGHT INFORMATION REGIONS WAS UNREASONABLE. THE CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AREA SHOULD BECOME A JOINT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HONG KONG AND GUANGZHOU AERONAUTICAL AUTHORITIES. HE FAVOURED EARLY TALKS TO DISCUSS THESE MATTERS AND SAID THAT HE WOULD WELCOME A HONG KONG TEAM TO PEKING IF THIS WERE THE PREFERRED VENUE.
3. KEEP POINTED OUT THAT THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES AND THE TRAINING OF EXPERTS TO ALLOW THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTRE TO TAKE OVER THE CONTROL OF A LARGE FIR WOULD TAKE SEVERAL YEARS. KEEP WENT ON TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD NEED TO HAVE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PROPOSALS BEFORE AN OFFICIAL VIEW COULD BE GIVEN BUT, AT FIRST BLUSH, THERE COULD ONLY BE ONE CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC FOR REASONS OF SAFETY. IF LI HAD IN MIND CO-OPERATION ON A GENERAL BASIS, THEN THERE WOULD BE NO DIFFICULTY. HE ALSO MADE THE POINT THAT FLIGHT INFORMATION REGIONS ARE NOT TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS, ESPECIALLY IN OCEANIC AREAS, BUT ARE DETERMINED BEST TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF SAFETY AND THE EXPEDITIOUS MOVEMENT OF AIR TRAFFIC.
4. AS TO HONG KONG ACCEPTING A GREATER AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY, KEEP SAID THAT EVEN NOW THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES WITH AIR/GROUND
CONFIDENTIAL
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