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73
111420
MDLIAN 0262
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FM ATTC TAIPEI
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 271
OF 290845Z SEPTEMBER 93
020/5
7
минаше KONG,
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PEKING, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
CHINA/TAIWAN: DIRECT SHIPPING LINKS.
SUMMARY.
1. GROWING CONCERN AMONGST SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES OF THE
EFFECT ON SHIPPING BETWEEN THE MAINLAND AND TAIWAN, VIA HONG KONG, FOLLOWING THE RETURN OF THE LATTER TO THE MAINLAND. SOME COUNTRIES WISH TO INITIATE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TAIWANESE NOW.
INSTRUCTIONS REQUIRED.
DETAIL.
2.
AT ITS MEETING ON 27 SEPTEMBER. THE EUROPEAN TRADE REPRESENTATIVES ORGANISATION (ETRO), OF WHICH WE ARE MEMBERS, AGREED TO CONSIDER THE PROBLEMS OF EUROPEAN SHIPPING LINES IN THE REGION WISHING TO USE TAIWANESE PORTS FOR TRANSHIPMENT PURPOSES INCLUDING FROM MAINLAND CHINA. THE DUTCH TOOK THE LEAD, FULLY SUPPORTED BY THE SWEDISH CHAIRMAN AND BY CERTAIN OTHER COUNTRIES INCLUDING DENMARK. THEY WISH TO APPROACH FORMALLY THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS TO ASK FOR A CHANGE IN TAIWANESE REGULATIONS WHICH DO NOT ALLOW FOREIGN VESSELS TO CALL AT TAIWANESE PORTS DIRECTLY FROM MAINLAND CHINA INCLUDING IF THEY ARE ONLY IN TRANSIT TO THIRD COUNTRIES. THE MAIN INTEREST IS IN THE SOUTHERN PORT OF KAOHSIUNG AND THE KEY ELEMENTS, FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, IN A DRAFT WHICH THE DUTCH HAVE CIRCULATED READ AS FOLLOWS:
'IN VIEW OF THEIR LONG TERM PLANNING SHIPPING LINES HAVE TO
DECIDE YEARS AHEAD WHEN AND WHERE TO INVEST. THIS ISSUE HAS
BECOME URGENT SINCE HONG KONG WILL BE PART OF MAINLAND CHINA
IN ABOUT THREE YEARS TIME WHICH WILL INDUCE MAJOR CONSEQUENCES FOR CARGO HANDLING IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.
AT THIS TIME R O C REGULATIONS DO NOT ALLOW SHIPPING LINES TO HANDLE CARGO COMING DIRECTLY FROM MAINLAND CHINA, BE IT FOR IMPORT INTO TAIWAN, BE IT FOR TRANSIT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. ON BEHALF OF ALL MY COLLEAGUES, REPRESENTATIVES
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