16
GRS 275
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 020750Z FEB 79
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 147 OF 2 FEB
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 184/1
ра
92
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
81
1:
No
MY TELNO 113 AND HONG KONG TELNO 189: AIR SERVICES.
WHEN I SAW ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER SONG ON 1 FEBRUARY I REMINDED HIM WE WERE WAITING FOR A REPLY ON AIR SERVICES.
1.
TIME WAS RUNNING ON AND WE HOPED THE PERIOD DURING WHICH REGIONAL SER- VICES BETWEEN GUANGZHOU (CANTON) AND HONG KONG HAD BEEN ARRANGED 1.E. UP TO 28 FEBRUARY WOULD ALLOW US TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT. HE AND I HAD TALKED OVER LUNCH IN OCTOBER LAST AND HAD VIRTUALLY SETTLED THE PROBLEM. THAT WAS WHEN TAIWAN WAS STILL AN ISSUE. NOW IN THE NEW POLITICAL CLIMATE THAT DIFFICULTY HAD, I THOUGHT, GONE.
*
2. SONG SAID THAT THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION HAD BEEN ABROAD ÎN JANUARY. HE HAD TO BE CONSULTED. BUT THE CHINESE NOW EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US A VERY EARLY REPLY. BOTH SIDES WISHED TO OPEN AIR SERVICES. THERE OUGHT NOT THEREFORE TO BE DIFFICULTY.
3. SONG WONDERED WHAT SORT OF SERVICE WE HAD IN MIND AND HOW IT WOULD AFFECT REGIONAL SERVICES BETWEEN GUANGZHOU AND HONG KONG. 1 EXPLAINED THAT WE WANTED A SERVICE FROM LONDON TO HONG KONG TO PEKING BUT I SAW NOTHING INCOMPATIBLE BETWEEN THAT AND REGIONAL SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGZHOU OR INDEED BETWEEN HONG KONG AND SOME OTHER CHINESE CITIES. SONG APPEARED RELIEVED.
ܢܹܐ
HE THEN REFERRED BRIEFLY TO THE PROSPECT OF A DIRECT RAIL LINK BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGZHOU. SAID THAT THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS WOULD NEED SOME TIME TO SORT OUT, BUT I SAW NO FUNDAMENTAL
PROBLEM.
CRADOCK
FILES
FED
COPIES TO
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
N AM D
HK & GD
MAED
MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY MISS BROWN
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
CONFIDENTIAL
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