CONFIDENTIAL
046454 MDHIAN 4849
11. IN HIS STATEMENT TODAY KE HAD SAID THAT THE CPG RESERVED THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE THE TEXT AND ANNEXES (INCLUDING THE CMU) BEFORE GIVING SPECIFIC AUTHORISATION FOR RENEWAL AFTER 1997. THERE WAS NO NEED TO REPEAT OUR POSITION ON CMU'S SAVE O REASSURE THE CHINESE SIDE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN EXISTING OR IN FUTURE CMU'S WHICH WOULD HARM THE RIGHTS AND AND INTERESTS OF THE CPG OR OF THE FUTURE SAR. SIMILARLY I DID NOT WISH TO REPEAT OUR VIEWS ON THE QUESTION OF RENEWAL OF ASA'S IN 1997.
KE'S RESPONSE
12. KE REITERATED THE CHINESE VIEWS ON HANDLING THE ASA'S OUTSIDE THE LIST OF 24. THEY HOPED THAT WE WOULD INFORM AND CONSULT THE CHINESE SIDE BEFORE BEGINNING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE RELEVANT COUNTRIES AND REGIONS. AT THE INTERPLENARY MEETING HE HAD EXPLAINED THAT THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN COUNTRIES ON AND OUTSIDE THE LIST WAS THAT THE LATTER GAVE RISE TO NEW IRO'S AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE HANDLED WITH CARE AND PRUDENCE. HE NOTED THAT I HAD EXPRESSED UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACT THAT ASAS WITH COUNTRIES SUCH AS SOUTH AFRICA, ISRAEL AND SOUTH KOREA WOULD GIVE RISE TO SPECIAL CONSIDER- ATIONS. BUT OTHER QUESTIONS INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF CHINESE EXTERNAL RELATIONS, ALSO NEEDED TO BE CONSIDERED.
13.
AS LONG AS ARRANGEMENTS OUTSIDE THE LIST OF 24 CONFORMED TO THE JD, WERE NECESSARY AND DID NOT HARM THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF THE SAR AND CPG IN THE AREA OF CIVIL AVIATION, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD ALWAYS GIVE THEM CONSIDERATION. IN SUCH CASES CONSULTATION WOULD NOT TAKE LONG. THESE ARRANGEMENTS NEED NOT NECESSARILY TAKE THE FORM OF FULL ASAS. ON THIS QUESTION WE SHOULD BE PRACTICAL AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. HE THOUGHT THESE TWO POINTS OF VIEW WOULD NOT CUASE MUCH OF A PROBLEM TO THE BRITISH SIDE.
14.
I UNDERTOOK TO REFLECT ON HIS VIEWS. FROM WHAT HE HAD SAID I COULD NOT DETECT MANY DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES, WE BOTH WERE AGREED THAT HONG KONG'S CIVIL AVIATION NETWORK WAS ESSENTIAL TO ITS PROSPERITY AND MUST DEVELOP IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS FUTURE NEEDS. I WOULD RESPOND LATER.
MCLAREN
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