CONFIDENTIAL
CRS 360
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 081438Z
FM PEKING Ø80700Z MAR 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 290 OF 8 MAR.
Hkk 18412
Y NO. 51
8 MAR 1979
REGISTRY cilon Taken
INFO IMMEDIATE DOT, HONG KONG, CANBERRA (FOR ROGERS DOT)
B
MY TELNO 282: AIR SERVICES
16
1. IN THE COURSE OF A CALL ON ANOTHER MATTER BY HEAD OF CHANCERY,
CUI MINGTANG OF WED REVERTED TO THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT. HE
SAID THAT THE CHINESE ACCEPTED THE IDEA THAT YOU MIGHT SIGN THE AGREEMENT DURING YOUR VISIT AND WISHED TO HAVE A PRELIMINARY TALK
ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR NEGOTIATION..
2, CUI SAID THAT THEY THOUGHT THAT THE DISCUSSIONS MIGHT BE PUR- SUED IN THREE PARTS. ON THE POLITICAL PROBLEM, ASSISTANT MINISTER SONG ZHIGUANG WOULD BE SPEAKING TO ME (AND I AM NOW INVITED TO THE MFA TOMORROW). THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE ASA COULD BE DEALT WITH BY A TEAM FROM THE UK IN DISCUSSIONS WITH CAAC (AS A GOVERN MENT ORGANISATION RATHER THAN AN AIRLINE). ''LOCAL FLIGHTS'’ MIGHT BE DEALT WITH BETWEEN CAAC CANTON AND THE HONG KONG AUTHOR- ITIES.
۱۴۰
3. PICKING UP A REMARK BY CUT THAT TIME WAS NOW VERY SHORT, GEORGE SAID THAT HE STILL THOUGHT THAT THE POLITICAL ISSUE NEEDED TO BE
TACKLED FIRST AND URGED THAT DISCUSSIONS TAKE PLACE VERY SOON.
AS HE HOPED, THE PROBLEM WAS NOW MANAGABLE IN THE LIGHT OF THE CHANGES WHICH CU! HAD MENTIONED (MY TELNO 259), NEGOTIATIONS ON THE TECHNICAL ISSUES COULD BEGIN SOON. CUI DID NOT DISSENT. SO
FAR AS LOCAL FLIGHTS WERE CONCERNED, GEORGE SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT BE TOTALLY SEPARATED FROM THE ASA ISSUE (HAVING IN MIND, BUY NOT MENTIONING, THE UNBLINDING OF THE HONG KONG/PEKING SECTOR AS WELL AS THE GENERAL LINK), PUT ADDED THAT DETAILED POINTS HAD
ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED LOCALLY.
CONFIDENTIAL
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