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FM ATTC TAIPEI
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 284
OF 151123Z OCTOBER 1993
HKC 020/5
1500, 1992
155160 MDLIAN 3793
ны/таша
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE COPENHAGEN, THE HAGUE
YOUR TELNO 137: CHINA/TAIWAN: DIRECT SHIPPING LINKS
SUMMARY
1. THE DUTCH INITIATIVE SUCCESSFULLY DEFLECTED FOR THE TIME BEING. SUBJECT TO BE RAISED INFORMALLY OVER LUNCH WITH THE VICE-MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION.
DETAIL
2.
THE MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN TRADE REPRESENTATIVES ORGANISATION (ETRO) WAS, IN THE EVENT, POSTPONED UNTIL 14 OCTOBER. I ATTENDED, AS DID REPRESENTATIVES FROM NETHERLANDS, SWEDEN, DENMARK AND GERMANY. FRANCE WAS THE ONLY NOTABLE ABSENTEE.
3. BEFORE THE MEETING I HAD SPOKEN INFORMALLY TO P&O AND JARDINE'S BOTH OF WHOM EXPRESSED A STRONG INTEREST IN SEEING KAOHSIUNG DEVELOPED AS A TRANSHIPMENT PORT FOR TRADE WITH THE MAINLAND. I DID NOT, HOWEVER, DISCUSS WITH THEM WHAT HMG'S POSITION MIGHT BE, NOR DID THEY PRESS ME. WE SIMPLY AGREED TO KEEP IN TOUCH.
4. THE ETRO MEETING ITSELF WAS INCONCLUSIVE. THE ONLY REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS REASONABLY WELL BRIEFED WAS THE DANE WHO CIRCULATED A POSITION PAPER (COPIES BY BAG TO FED AND POSTS) WHICH THEY HAD PREPARED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MAERSK AND WHICH THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY LODGED INFORMALLY WITH THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES.
5. THE DUTCHMAN SAID THAT HIS MINISTERS HAD ALSO RAISED THE MATTER WITH P K CHIANG, MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, WHO HAD BEEN RECEPTIVE. CHIANG HAD EXPLAINED THAT THE MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL (MAC) WAS IN THE LEAD ON THIS SUBJECT AND WERE VERY CONSERVATIVE ON
IT.
PRESSURE FROM THIRD COUNTRIES MIGHT EVENTUALLY GET THE POLICY OF NO DIRECT LINKS CHANGED BUT IT WOULD TAKE TIME.
6. I SPOKE AS IN PARA 3 OF YOUR TUR. THERE WAS GENERAL SYMPATHY FOR OUR POSITION AND THE MEETING ACCEPTED MY SUGGESTION THAT IF ANY WRITTEN APPROACH HAD TO BE MADE NOW TO THE TAIWANESE AUTHORITIES IT SHOULD BE DONE BY INDIVIDUAL OFFICES AND NOT BY ETRO AS A WHOLE.
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