TNAG-0865-FCO40-1075-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 56

CR 183

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 076658Z SEP 79

PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 773 OF 7 SEPT 79

AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

INFO PRIORITY DOT(CAIR), OTTAWA (FOR ICAO) SAVING TO HANOI (FCO PLEASE PASS)

HOT

AKK 184/.!....

272C IN 33GISTRY NO. 51

10 SEP 1979

OF

REGISTRY

Action Taken

Ser (402/406

KK TELNO 1240: CAAC NOTAM 19 AND AMBER ONE

3

ॐ

1. WE SEE NO OBJECTION TO APPROACHING CAAC AS REQUESTED BY

HONG KONG.

2. YOU SHOULD BE AWARE, HOWEVER, THAT ON 6 SEPTEMBER THE VIETNAMES EMBASSY HERE ISSUED THE TEXT OF A FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN'S STATEMENT OF 3 SEPTEMBER PROTESTING THE CHINESE ACTION. THE STATEMENT REFERS TO: (A) INFRINGEMENT OF VIETNAMESE SOVEREIGNTY (OVER THE PARACELS, TO THE AIRSPACE OF WHICH WE UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE DANGER AREAS RELATES), (B) VIOLATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL LAW ON FREE FLIGHTS OVER INTERNATIONAL WATERS, CONTRADICTION OF THE AIMS OF ICAO, AND THE THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF AIR TRANSPORT ALONG LONG ESTABLISHED INTERNATIONAL ROUTES, AND (C) THE CONNECTION WITH CHINA'S THREAT TO ATTACK VIETNAM AGAIN,

3. ANY APPROACH THAT WE MAKE TO THE CHINESE WOULD PROBABLY

STAND A BETTER CHANCE OF SUCCESS IF TIED FIRMLY TO THE

PRACTICAL QUESTION OF ALLOWING FLIGHTS 13 AND OUT OF HONG

KONG ON AMBER ONE TO CONTINUE, WITHOUT APPEARING TO ECHO THE

VIETNAMESE POINTS ABOVE.

A

SUGGEST YOU COPY REFTEL SAVING TO HANOI

CRADOCK

FILES MAED

HKOG D

REPEATED AS REQUESTED COPIES SENT TO CAD/ DOT

CONFIDENTIAL