UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FM SEOUL
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 275
OF 30062OZ MAY 91
HKC181/23
076352
MDLIAN 4878
My Sainty
This
may
be a point
UKREP
can deploy in urging
a Chinese
response to
our proposal for HK/20K separation. Flag in our rest tel on the
subject?
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, MOSCOW, HONG KONG, DEPT OF TRANSPORT
INFO ROUTINE DTI
ны
AJA
PW HK/ROK Ru3515.
DEPT OF TRANSPORT FOR IAD, DTI FOR OT2/2.
1.
AS WE HAVE REPORTED THE SOUTH KOREANS HAVE FOR SOME TIME BEEN TRYING TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE TO AGREE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF REGULAR FLIGHTS BETWEEN SEOUL AND PEKING. AT THE SAME TIME, AEROFLOT HAVE BEEN SEEKING PERMISSION TO FLY MOSCOW-PEKING-SEOUL INSTEAD OF THEIR PRESENT ROUTE VIA SHANGHAI. THE PAST TEN DAYS HAVE SEEN TALKS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND THE KOREANS AND BETWEEN THE KOREANS AND THE SOVIET UNION. A ROUND-UP MAY BE
TIMELY.
SOUTH KOREA-CHINA
2 =
TALKS TOOK PLACE IN PEKING 20-22 MAY AND INVOLVED TWO KOREAN MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT OFFICIALS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UNUSUALLY, THE REQUEST FOR THESE TALKS CAME FROM THE CHINESE. KOREA'S TWO AIRLINES, KOREAN AIR AND ASIANA ARE BOTH SAID TO BE KEEN TO ESTABLISH REGULAR SERVICES AS TRADE AND TOURISM LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES GROW DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. KOREAN ENTHUSIASM NOTWITHSTANDING, NO AGREEMENT
WAS APPARENTLY REACHED.
SOUTH KOREA-SOVIET UNION
3.
AEROFLOT HAVE HAD ONE FLIGHT A WEEK BETWEEN SEOUL AND MOSCOW VIA SHANGHAI SINCE MARCH 1990. KOREA AIR FLY DIRECT TO MOSCOW EN ROUTE TO OTHER EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS WITHOUT ENTERING CHINESE AIRSPACE. AEROFLOT IN PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR SOME TIME TO FLY VIA PEKING WHICH APART FROM OTHER ADVANTAGES WOULD APPARENTLY CUT FLIGHT TIME BY AN HOUR AND A HALF. THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES ARE SEEKING THE AGREEMENT OF CHINA'S AVIATION AUTHORITIES, AND ARE ALSO IN TOUCH WITH KOREANS. BUT THE LACK OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN KOREA AND CHINA HINDERS PROGRESS FOR THE MOMENT.
PAGE 1 UNCLASSIFIED