TNAG-0858-FCO40-1068-Proposed-UK-China-bilateral-shipping-agreement-1979 — Page 58

COVERING CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Fursland, FED

Mr Quantrill, HKGD

} separate spies

Reference..

HKCK MS/2

2 5 APR 1979

R+R

J25.4

UK/CHINA MARITIME AGREEMENT

I attach a draft brief which the DOT would like to get into Friday's bag for use by the Embassy in their preliminary discussions with the Chinese (FCO tel No.377 refers).

1.

2.

The brief is the same as the one we considered in March but was not sent because we agreed to await the outcome of the visit to Peking of the Governor of Hong Kong. A covering letter would explain that we may need to reconsider the brief in the light of any pointers which might emerge from the Embassy's current round of talks on the exchange of letters.

I should be grateful for comments on the draft by 12.00 on Thursday 26 April.

3.

47,

24 April 1979

Mr Williamson

D. Wyalt

D Wyatt

Maritime, Aviation & Environment Department

I do not recall having seen the draft text referred to i theopening line. Without it, it is difficult to make much

file? : sense of the rest of the brief: dowe have a copy on our

If not, can we get a copy from MAED? My initial reaction is that the line on Hong Kong in the last page of the brief is for too feeble: we want our team to bid strongly for an agreement that fully includes Hong Kong, making it plain that this is in ow mutual intvest since neither side wants to put the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong to be put at risk. But I do not think we can comment in fill until we have seen the text.

1X 24/4

COVERING CONFIDENTIAL

CODE 18-77