TNAG-0867-FCO40-1077-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 81

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1950

CONFIDENTIAL

DES BY 230D0OZ

FM PEKING 2376452 APR 70

TO PREDIATE FCO

TELNO 304 OF 23 APR

AND TO HONG KONG (COVERNOR AND SCARFE)

CHINA

UK/PRC AND HK/PRC AIR SERVICES: VISIT BY BRITISH AIRWAYS TEAN

1. A DELEGATION OF BRITISH AIRWAYS AND JARDINE'S REPRESENTATIVES LED BY DRAPER, COMERCIAL DIRECTOR OF BA, VISITED PEKING FROM 19-21 APRIL, AND HAD TALKS WITH CAAC AND CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE (CTS).

2. DRAPER CALLED AT THE EMBASSY BEFORE SPEAKING TO THE CHINESE AND EXPLAINED HIS LITENTION TO TRY AND ONOKE OUT CAAC ON THEIR REACTION TO THE MORE INPORTNIT PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING AIR SERVICES ACREEVENT (ASA) AS THEY AFFECTED BA. ME MENTIONED THAT WE HAD INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO REVEAL OUR HAND, BUT DRAPER EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD CLEARED HIS LINE OF APPROACH WITY ROCERS, NO ONE FROM THE 52B10SY WAS PRESENT-AT THEIR FORMAL BESSIC WITH LI SHUFAN (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAAC), BUT SULLIVAN ATTENDED A DINNER ON THE EVENING OF 20 APRIL WHERE THE TWO SIDES WENT OVER

THE GAME GROUND.

3. THE MAIN POINTS TO COME OUT OF THE DISCUSSIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS:~

(1) OVERFLYING RIGHTS OVER SOUTHERN CHINA ON THE EXISTING ROUTE TO HONG KONG WOULD BE GRANTED ON APPLICATION, EVEN PRIOR TO SIGNATURE OF AN ASA, THERE WAS, HOWEVER, LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT RICHT TO USE THE SILK ROAD ROUTE THROUGH WESTERN AND CENTRAL CHINY WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT

FEW YEARS.

11) CAAC DO HOT INTEND TO PROPOSE ANY AMENDMENTS THEMSELVES TO THE ASA. THEY WILL T OBJECT TO TECHNICAL AVENDAENTS?

PROPOSED BY OR SIDE, EITHER TO THE DAIS TEXT REJULTING FROM ICAO MEK ERGHIP, CK TO ROUTING IN THE ANNEX.

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CONFIDENTIAL.

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