TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 176

600

GR 210

PRIORITY

CHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 280257Z

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK FRUFIDENTIAL

RECENTE

PA

$1

TO PRIORITY F.C.O TELNO.1241 OF 28 OCTOBER 78,

INFO PRIORITY PEKING,

ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

887

15

:

ра

See

618

se is supposed to be meating this week, what I have asked to attend, when

Hun comm thrar had

PEKING TELNO.663 AND YOUR TELNO.807. AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT.

1. WE HAVE NO MEANS OF JUDGING IN ADVANCE PRECISELY WHAT FORM OF WORDS WOULD BE BOTH ACCEPTABLE TO PEKING AND NOT CAUSE TAIWAN TO ACT AGAINST CPA. THERE SEEMS NO GOOD REASON HOWEVER WHY THE FORMULAE IN PARAS 3 AND 4 OF PEKING'S TEL UNDER REF SHOULD

TRIGGER A REACTION FROM TAIWAN.

2. WITH THE SUGGESTED FALL-BACK POSITION IN PARA.5 WE WOULD BE

ON MUCH MORE DANGEROUS GROUND. ALTHOUGH SUBTLY DIFFERENT, IT IS

STILL VERY CLOSE TO THE ILL-FATED JAPANESE FORMULA OF 1974 (PARA 14 OF THE RESEARCH DEPT MEMO OF 28 SEPTEMBER ). IF USED THERE WOULD

INEVITABLY BE A SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF A TAIWAN REACTION AGAINST CPA WITH ALL THAT WOULD ENTAIL (SEE MY TELNO.1131), INCLUDING THE

POSSIBILITY OF CPA DEMANDS FOR COMPENSATION.

539

3. SEEN FROM HERE, IT IS STILL NOT CLEAR WHAT ARE THE GAINS THAT

ARE JUDGED COMMENSURATE WITH THIS RISK, PARTICULARLY IF AGREEMENT

IS LIMITED TO THE 1973 DRAFT WITH ALL ITS SHORTCOMINGS, E.G NO PROVISION FOR PICKING UP PASSENGERS IN HONG KONG, NOR OVERFLYING CHINA ON THE DIRECT ROUTE TO HONG KONG ETC.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

FED. HKFGD

MAED.

MR CORTAZZ1 MR MURRAY Miss в пасом.

COPIES TO MR BRYANT

MR STABLES.

CONFIDENTIAL

CAIR

рот