TNAG-0867-FCO40-1077-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 14

GPS300

CONFIDENTIAL

FCO 081810Z MAY 79

INMEDIATE PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 252 OF 8 MAY

AND TO HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND ECARFE)

No

MIPT: UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS.

P.A

Hkk 184/2

Sez/91

f

87

•

1. FOLLOWING IS LINE YOU SHOULD TAKE IN HANDING OVER REVISED TEXT:

THE UNITED KINGDOM AUTHORITIES HAVE REVIEWED THE TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT WHICH WAS NEGOTIATED AND INITALLED IN 1973, IN THE LIGHT OF SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS. THEY HAVE NOW PREPARED A REVISED TEXT WHICH TAKES INTO ACCOUNT CHANGES SINCE THEN, NOTABLY IN RESPECT OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC'S MEMBERSHIP OF THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION (ICAO) AND IN RESPECT OF THE DEVELOPMENT. OF RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.

A REVISED DRAFT IS ATTACHED, WHICH SEEKS TO ACCOMMODATE THE POINTS OF VIEW OF BOTH SIDES.

2. THE UK AUTHORITIES HAVE IT IN MIND TO ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH AIR SERVICES CAN BE ESTABLISHED NOT ONLY ON THE TRUNK ROUTE LINKING LONDON WITH PEKING BUT ALSO ON ROUTES LINKING HONG KONG WITH POINTS IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WISHES OF BOTH SIDES. THEY WISH TO KEEP OPEN THE POSSIBILITY OF SEPARATE AIRLINES OPERATING THE REGIONAL ROUTES AND THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE DRAFT TEXT. HOWEVER, THEY WOULD PREFER TO DEFER FRESENTING FORMAL PROPOSALS ABOUT THE ROUTES THEMSELVES, AND THE BASIS ON WHICH THEY ARE TO BE OPERATED, UNTIL THEY HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OF DISCUSSING THESE COMPLEX MATTERS WITH THEIR CHINESE COLLEAGUES. THEY HAVE NOT THEREFORE INCLUDED AN ANNEX OF ROUTE SCHEDULES IN THE DRAFT.

3. THE UK AUTHORITIES PRESENT THESE PROPOSALS AS A BASIS FOR NEGOTIATION AND THE UK DELEGATION LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH THEIR CHINESE COLLEAGUES THE WAY IN WHICH THE OBJECTIVES OF BOTH SIDES CAN BEST BE ACHIEVED AND ANY CONSEQUANTIAL AMENDMENTS TO THE DRAFT TEXT.

CARRINGTON

FILES

MAED FED HKJGD

LEG ADV MISS BROWN

[COPIES

MR MURRAY

SENT TO CAD/DOT]

CONFIDENTIAL