PEKING TL 74
GRS 390
CONFI DENTI AL
TELELETTER
FROM: T J B GEORGE, PEKING
REF: 175/548/1
23 APRIL 1979
FOLLOWING FOR: A J RAMSAY ESQ, MAED, FCO
IN
448
Mr Williamson J25.4 822574
HALK 175/2
26 APR 27
CC: DR D C WILSON, HONG KONG
UK/CHINA SHIPPING
See
1. I CALLED ON 20 APRIL ON DONG HUAMING AT THE MINISTRY OF COMM- UNICATIONS, HAVING BEEN POINTED IN THEIR DIRECTION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I WENT OVER THE GROUND BOTH ON THE EXCHANGE OF LETTERS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF NEGOTIATIONS ON THE MARITIME AGREEMENT.
2. ON THE FORMER DONG REPLIED BLANDLY BY SAYING THAT SINCE CONT- RACTS CONTAINED CLAUSES SPECIFYING CHINESE SHIPS IT WAS NATURAL THAT GOODS SHOULD BE SO TRANSPORTED. HE ESCHEWED KNOWLEDGE OF AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SUBJECT. BUT ON BEING PRESSED ABOUT THE POLICY WHEREBY CONTRACTS CONTAINED SHIPPING CLAUSES, HE ACKNOW- LEDGED THAT MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE WERE RESPONSIBLE. WE SHALL TAKE ACTION WITH THEM.
3. ON THE MARITIME NEGOTI ATION DONG OPENED BY SAYING THAT BOTH SI DES WERE AWARE OF THE SPECIAL POSITION OF HONG KONG, AND THAT IT WAS A MATTER OF FINDING THE BEST WORDS''. HE ALSO MENTIONED TECHNICAL PROBLEMS OUTSTANDING IN THE AGREEMENT AS LAST DISCUSSED, BUT TOOK THE INITIATIVE IN SAYING THAT THE HONG KONG POINT WAS THE MAJOR PROBLEM.
4. I SAID THAT I DETECTED AN APPARENT SHIFT IN THE CHINESE POSITION IN THAT IN THE LAST DISCUSSIONS THE CHINESE WISHED TO HAVE A MET- ROPOLITAN AGREEMENT EXCLUDING HONG KONG, WHEREAS NOW HE WAS TALKING OF BETTER WORDING. DONG CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE POSITIVE IN THEIR ATTITUDE TO CONCLUDING AN AGREEMENT AND MENTIONED VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA (WHICH DO NOT OF COURSE RELY ON ANY ITERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT).
5. I EXPLAINED THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES IN RESUMING NEGOTIATIONS IMMEDIATELY, BUT SUGGESTED THAT IN ANY CASE SOME EXPLORATION OF THE ISSUES WAS NECESSARY, EITHER THROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH THE EMBASSY OR WITH VISITING OFFICIALS. TUNG AGREED.
6. COMMENT. IT IS DIFFICULT ON THE BASIS OF THIS PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION TO KNOW WHETHER THE CHINESE POSITION HAS IN FACT SHIFTED. BUT DONG GAVE THE CLEAR IMPRESSION THAT, ALTHOUGH OUR UNDERLYING POSITIONS ON HONG KONG DIFFER, THE CHINESE WANT AN AGREEMENT AND WOULD BE PREPARED TO LOOK AT SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE AGREEMENT TO THE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. WE WILL CONSIDER THIS POINT AND LET YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY INSTRUCT- IONS YOU CAN GIVE MEANWHILE.
7. THERE COULD BE ADVANTAGE IN A VISIT BY BRITISH SHI POWNERS. BUT WE SHOULD PERHAPS WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE A ROUND OR TWO WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN TRADE AND HAVE SEEN IF THERE IS ANY SHIFT IN THE POLICY. IN THE END WHETHER WE GET AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS OR NOT MAY MATTER LESS THAN THE FACT THAT BRITISH SHIPOWNERS ARE SEEN TO BE BATTERING ON THE DOOR.
MY APOLOGIES TO HONG KONG FOR FAILING TO COPY PEKING TELNO 377 TO THEM. COPY BY THE SAME BAG AS THIS TELELETTER TO DAVID WILSON.
.TIMOTHY GEORGE
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.