TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 17

GRS 370

CONFIDENTIAL

D BY 879900 Z

FM PEKING 376645Z DEC 78

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 888 OF 7 DEC

CONFIDENTIAL

HICK

184/1 PA

RECEIVED IN MO STAY RO. 51

G SIPY

8 DEC 1978

716

IND-

No

RY

coon en

AID TO HONG KONG (FOR POLITICAL ADVISER, DCA, AND BCARFE) INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE, LONDON

YOUR TELNO 778: AIR SERVICES

See (717)

1. HEAD OF CHANCERY WAS SUMMONED TO MFA THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS FLIGHTS BETWEEN CANTON AND HONG KONG. PREFACING HIS REMARKS BY SAYING THAT A SUSPENSION OF AIR SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CANTON WOULD BE INCONVENIENT AND NOT BENE-

Y

FICIAL TO SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF WEST EUROPEAN DEPARTMENT, LIANG SHANG-YUAN,' SAID:

(A) THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE BRITISH PROPOSAL THAT FLIGHTS BETWEEN CANTON AND HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE FOR THREE MONTHS (SEMI COLON)

(3) THEY HOPED THAT DCA HONG KONG COULD BE AUTHORISED TO DIS- CUSS THE CONTINUATION OF REGULAR FLIGHTS BEYOND THIS PERIOD WITH CAAC CANTON.

2. IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION LIANG CONFIRMED..THAT THEY WANTED THE FLIGHTS TO CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED FLIGHTS, AND THAT THEY ACCEPTED THE IMPLICATION THAT THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY WOULD BE ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE IN LONDON. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE CHINESE EMBASSY WOULD BE AUTHORISED TO ACCEPT THE CERTIFICATE. WE ARE NOT CLEAR WHETHER YOU REQUIRE FURTHER DETAILS FROM HONG KONG BEFORE THIS CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED, BUT IF SO NO DOUBT HONG KONG WILL SUPPLY.

3. LIANG CLEARLY IMPLIED THAT THEY WANTED FLIGHTS BETWEEN

HONG KONG AND CANTON TO BE A PERMANENT FEATURE. HE EXPLAINED

THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HOPED TO SETTLE FIRST THE QUESTION OF REGIONAL FLIGHTS BETWEEN CANTON AND HONG KONG WHILE, AT THE SAME TIME, GIVING CONSIDERATION TO AIR LINKS BETWEEN BRITAIN

AND CHINA. HE DID NOT HOWEVER REVERT TO OUR PROPOSED STATE-

MENT.

CONFIDENTIAL

/4. GEORGE