TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 173

621

GR 20

nucar CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 0118332 NOV 78

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRICRITY BANGKOK TELNO 299 OF 1 NOVEMBER INFO HONG KONG (GOV AND BCARFE), PEKING.

THAI/CHINA AIR SERVICES.

Hkk184

PA

No

AY NO. $1

REGISTRY

Action

1. CPA REPORTING ON A MEETING WITH THAI INTERNATIONAL SAY THAT THE PRC HAVE TOLD THE THAIS THAT THEY WOULD NOT OBJECT TO THAILAND SERVING BOTH THE PRC AND TAIWAN (THOUGH NOT PRESUMABLY ON THE SAME FLIGHT).

2. IF THIS IS TRUE IT COULD HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATION FOR US. THE PRC HAS STEADFASTLY REFUSED TO SIGN THE DRAFT ASA WE NEGOTIATED WITH THEM IN 1973 UNLESS WE AGREE TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS, IMPORTANT AMONG WHICH ARE THAT WE SHOULD MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT WE DO NOT RECOGNISE CAL AS AN AIRLINE REPRESENTING A STATE NOR THE INSIGNIA ON ITS AIRCRAFT AS NATIONAL INSIGNIA. WE HAVE FELT UNABLE TO COMPLY BECAUSE CF LIKELY TAIWANESE ADVERSE REACTION ON CPA'S SERVICES TO AND THROUGH TAIWAN THE CONSEQUENCE IS THAT THE DRAFT ASA WITH THE PRC REMAINS UNSIGNED.

3. COULD YOU ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE PRC IS ATTACHING ANY. SIMILAR PRE-CONDITION TO THE THAI AIRLINE OPERATING INTO THE PRC, WHILST CONTINUING TO OPERATE TO TAIWAN AND ACCEPTING CAL OPERATIONS TO BANGKOK.

OVEN

FILES

FED

UKYGD

TQD

MARD

MR CORTAZLI

CONIES TO:

CAIR DO" | DOT

CONFIDENTIAL