CONFIDENTIAL
4. DISCUSSION QUICKLY TURNED TO STRUCTURE OF THE TRUNK ROUTE AID RESUMED ON THIS SUBJECT ON 19 MAY, THE SESSION THEN WAS COMPLETELY FRUSTRATING AND MORE THAN THREE HOURS WERE TA EN UP WITH, INCONCLUSIVE DISCUSSION OF INTERMEDIATE POINTS. BOTH DELE- GATIONS WERE HINDERED BY POOR INTERPRETATION, WHICH HAD BEEN PROVIDED BY THE CHINESE. THE CHINESE ADOPTED A RATHER RESTRICTIVE ATTITUDE: THEY SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE ONLY ONE POINT IN EACH OTHER'S COUNTRY. THE WHOLE OF THIS DISCUSSION WAS ON THE BASIS OF A ROUTE VIA HONG KONG, TO WHICH THE CHINESE RAISED NO OBJECTION. THEY ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE BA'S NEED FOR FLEXIB- ILITY OF OPERATION, BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEX NATURE OF THEIR ROUTE PATTERN TO HONG KONG. HOWEVER, AFTER APPARENTLY AGREEING TO OUR PROPOSALS FOR INTERMEDIATE POINTS, THEY BACK-TRACKED. THEY WERE UNWILLING TO EXPLAIN CLEARLY WHY THEY WANTED TO RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF INTERMEDIATE POINTS AND THE GROUPING OF THEM.
5.
LU ACCOMPANIED THE BRITISH DELEGATION ON A SIGHTSEEING TOUR ON SUNDAY. IN A PRIVATE CONVERSATION, ROGERS PROBED HIM ABOUT THE CHINESE MOTIVES AND OBJECTIVES. THE DISCUSSION SUGGESTED THAT COMMERCIAL MORE THAN POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS, EQ RELATING
LU TO HONG KONG, NIGHT BE INFLUENCING THE CHINESE ATTITUDE. SUGGESTED EITHER OITTING HONG ONG FROM OUR TRUNY ROUTE OR GIVING CAAC FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS BEYOND HONG KONG IN EXCHANGE FOR
ROGERS' IMMEDIATE FLIGHTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND PEKING FOR US.
+
REACTION WAS THAT THESE SUGGESTIONS WERE SURPRISING IN VIEW OF PREVIOUS CHINESE ATTITUDES AND THAT NEITHER WAS LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTA.LE. WHILE LU STILL TALKED OF SEPARATE NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT REGIONAL SERVICES, HE DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THEY SHOULD BE CONDU- CTED WITH THE HONG KONG COVERNMENT.
FORMAL TALKS RESUME ON 21 MAY,
CRADOCK
FILSS
MALD
FED
HK + CD (L)
H& CATARI MISE ŠLOWN
HR HURRAM
2
CONFIDENTIAL
:
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.