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pa 81/22.
163027 MDHIAN 9643
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FM TOKYO
TO DESKBY 19093OZ FCO
TELNO 787
OF 190809Z OCTOBER 93
AND TO DESKBY 19093OZ DOT
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
DOT FOR IAD
FOR FED
HKC 181/22
is u. 1993
HONG KONG TELNO 1627: HONG KONG/JAPAN SEPARATION TALKS, TOKYO: 13-15 OCTOBER
1. AS YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM TUR, THE ASA SEPARATION TALKS HERE LAST WEEK MADE DISAPPOINTINGLY LITTLE PROGRESS.
2.
THE JAPANESE SIDE, LED BY NOMOTO (DIRECTOR OF THE MFA'S CHINA DIVISION) PUT FORWARD A DRAFT WHICH WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE MODEL ASA WHICH HAS BEEN USED AS THE BASIS FOR NEGOTIATION WITH ALL HONG KONG'S OTHER AVIATION PARTNERS AND ARGUED THAT ANY DEPARTURE FROM THIS TEXT WOULD CREATE DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING APPROVAL FROM THE LEGAL OFFICE OF THE CABINET AND THE DIET. AS LONG AS THE JAPANESE NEGOTIATORS CONTINUE TO ARGUE THAT LANGUAGE THAT HAS NO PRECEDENT IN JAPANESE LAWS AND AGREEMENTS WILL BE UNACCEPTABLE TO THE LEGAL OFFICE OF THE CABINET, THEN AGREEMENT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO REACH.
3.
THE HONG KONG TEAM POINTED OUT THAT
JAPANESE DIFFICULTIES ARE INTERNAL ONES AND THEREFORE SOLVABLE IF THE WILL IS THERE, WHEREAS THE CONSTRAINTS ON HONG KONG'S NEGOTIATING POSITION ARE IMPOSED BY A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT: THEIR ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE IS THEREFORE MUCH LESS
THERE WOULD BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR JAPAN IF NO AGREEMENT IS REACHED ( OPERATING UNDER THE JAPAN/PRC AGREEMENT WITH ALL SERVICES ROUNTED THROUGH PEKING: STARTING NEGOTIATIONS FROM SCRATCH WITH THE CHINESE ON A HONG KONG AGREEMENT: OR OPERATING WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT WITH NO SECURITY FOR THE AIRLINES)
TIME IS FAST RUNNING OUT FOR AN AGREEMENT TO BE NEGOTIATED, CLEARED, SIGNED AND RATIFIED BEFORE 1997.
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