TNAG-0741-FCO40-945-Relations-between-China-and-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 75

ાર મન

ENCLAIR

FM F C 0 11735Z

UNCLASSIFIED

4K 784/1000/1

← MAR 1978

DECK OFF..

INDEX

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 168 OF 1 MARCH

FOR GOVERNOR FROM BRAY.

DIPLOMATIC AND COMMONWEALTH WRITERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL DINNER.

AT THE COCKTAIL PARTY BEFORE THIS DINNER I SPOKE TO MR SUN WEN-

FANG, CORRESPONDENT OF THE KWANGMING DAILY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

HE SAID HE WAS SHORTLY GOING TO CHINA TO COVER THE CONGRESS AND

I ASKED HOW HE WOULD TRAVEL. HE SAID VIA PARIS, WHAT WERE WE DOING

ABOUT THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT THROUGH HONG KONG? 1 FOUND IT

DIFFICULT TO ANSWER AS I HAD NO IDEA WHETHER NEW NEGOTIATIONS WERE

IN HAND AND PASSED IT OFF BY SAYING THAT ALTHOUGH PEOPLE COULD NOT

FLY IN AND OUT OF CHINA, WE HAD BEEN SENSIBLE ENOUGH TO ARRANGE FOR

SHANGHAI CRAMBS TO MAKE A ONE-WAY TRIP. HE DID NOT LET THE MATTER

CROP AND WANTED TO PURSUE 17, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO SAY WHERE THE FAULT LAY, HE MUTTERED ABOUT TAIWAN, BUT I SAID WE HAD NO RELATIONS

MTH TAIWAN AND DID NOT EVEN HAVE A STATE AIRLINE THOUGH CATHAY

PACIFIC CARRY A GOOD DEAL OF TRAFFIC THERE. HE SAID HE THOUGHT

TAIWAN NEEDED HONG KONG MORE THAN HONG KONG NEEDED TAIWAN AND I

AGREED. IS ANYTHING HAPPENING ON THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH

GINA?

SHORTLY AFTER I LEFT HIM, HE TOLD MR BOXALL AND A COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION (LAWRENCE FRENCH-FAR EAST TRADE AND

DEVELOPMENT) THAT CHINA HAD RECENTLY MADE AGREEMENT UNDER WHICH

CHINA WOULD BUY COAL MINING EQUIPMENT FROM BRITAIN AND SELL CO AL

TO HONG KONG FOR THE CHINA LIGHT POWER STATION. HE SAID THE

AGREEMENT HAD RECENTLY BEEN REACHED AND HAD DEFINITELY BEEN

CONCLUDED.

EITHER

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