GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 293920Z FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
+kk 184/2°
RECOVIC Esty No. 51
3 0 MAY 1979
REGISTRY Action Taken
DESK BY 292700Z HONG KONG
По
FM PEKING 290445Z MAY 79
до
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 493 OF 29 MAY
132
P.A
AND TO HONG KONG
131
MIPT: AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS.
1.
I CALLED ON VICE FOREIGN MINISTER ZHANG WENJIN ON 26 MAY TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. I SAID THE TALKS HAD A MUCH MORE THAN TECHNICAL OR COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. WE WERE VERY KEEN THT THEY SHOULD COME TO A SUCC- ESSFUL CONCLUSION, AND TO THIS END WERE PREPARED TO BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT THE FORM OF THE AGREEMENT, AND WOULD NOT INSIST ON COMPLETE PARITY. BUT I DID NOT THINK THAT AN AGREEMENT WHICH EXCLUDED BRITISH CARRIERS FROM THE HONG KONG/PEKING ROUTE, WITH THE EXCEP- TION OF LIMITED AND TEMPORARY RIGHTS FOR BRITISH AIRWAYS, WAS EQUITABLE, OR WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO HMG. I HOPED THAT ZHANG AND THE MFA COULD USE THEIR INFLUENCE TO PERSUADE CAAC TO TAKE
A MORE REASONABLE LINE.
2.
ZHANG SAID THAT IT WAS THE FOREIGN MINISTGY'S JOB TO EXPEDITE A SUCCESSFUL AGREEMENT, WHICH HE AGREED HAD MORE THAN PURELY COMMERCIAL SIGNIFICANCE. HE WAS GLAD I HAD CALLED. HE AC NOW-
LEDGED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WERE PREPARED TO MAKE CONCESSIONS IN VIEW OF THE SPECIAL POSITION OF HONG KONG. THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD MAKE CORRESPONDING CONCESSIONS. HE HAD TAKEN NOTE OF WHAT I HAD SIAD AND WOULD TAKE PERSONAL CARE
OF THE QUESTION,
3. ZHANG ALSO PICKED UP MY POINT THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO HAVE THE AGREEMENT READY FOR SIGNATURE BY THE TIME OF PREMIER HUA'S VISIT. HE NOTED THAT IN THIS RESPECT WE WERE LAGGING
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