TNAG-0858-FCO40-1068-Proposed-UK-China-bilateral-shipping-agreement-1979 — Page 15

HKK 175/2

•

N.R

300

CONFIDENTIAL

FM F C O 081832Z JUN 79

TO ROUTINE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 351 OF 8 JUNE

AND SAVING TO HONG KONG.

UK-PRC MARITIME AGREEMENT.

1. GEORGE'S TLS OF 15 AND 31 MAY.

10. 01

-IY

DEDA

INDEX

Ch

Sa

2. WE AGREE WITH THE LINE YOU PROPOSE IN PARAGRAPH 7 OF YOUR

TELELETTER OF 15 MAY. PLEASE NOW APPROACH THE MFA AS SOON AS YOU

CONSIDER IT APPROPRIATE TO DO SO BEARING IN MIND THE STATE OF THE

AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS. ALTHOUGH MORRIS TOLD SHEN IT WOULD BE

HELPFUL IF THE CHINESE TOOK THE INITIATIVE BY PROPOSING HOW HONG KONG MIGHT BE INCLUDED IN THE AGREEMENT (FCO TEL 272) ON REFLECTION,

IN THE LIGHT OF THE ARGUMENTS IN PARA 6 OF YOUR TELELETTER OF 15

MAY, WE THINK YOU SHOULD PRESS FOR OUR ORIGINAL TEXT. WE WOULD PREFER YOU NOT TO OFFER A NO PREJUDICE UNDERSTANDING (7C OF YOUR TELELETTER OF 15 MAY) AT THIS STAGE. THIS COULD BE OPEN TO THE SAME

OBJECTIONS AS TO THE PROPOSAL FOR A SIMILAR STATEMENT PUT FORWARD

IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT (PARA 5 OF HONG KONG TEL 638 OF 24 MAY).

3. IN EXPLAINING WHY HONG KONG SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ANY AGREEMENT

YOU SHOULD DRAW AS APPROPRIATE ON HONG KONG TELNO 406 OF 21 MARCH AND MAKE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL POINTS.

A) HONG KONG IS NOT THE ONLY OVERSEAS PORT OF BRITISH REGISTRY, A METROPOLITAN ONLY AGREEMENT WOULD MEAN THAT OTHER SUB-REGISTERS

WOULD ALSO BE EXCLUDED THUS LEADING TO A LOSS OF FLEXIBILITY FOR

BRITISH AND OTHER SHIPOWNERS SERVING THE CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIF1.

B) A

58

Page 15Page 16