PS/Mr Blaker
CONFIDENTIAL
化
HKK 184/2
RELIVED IN
INDEX
1 5 MAY 1979
•
cc RS/Mr Hurd
Mr
Quảng
5114/5
www.gp5.5
0.51 r Cortazzi M. wurlegung
Miss Brown MAED
PREMIS KGD
FED
по
115.5
D
E
1
UK/CHINA AIR NEGOTIATIONS
1. As Mr Cortazzi and I indicated to the. Minister of State last week, negotiations for a UK/China Air Services Agreement are to resume in Peking on 13 May after a lapse of six years; a DOT-led team (with an FCO member) has already left London and will pick up its Hong Kong members on the way. This is the first major Air Services negotiation since the Government took office.
2.
The Chinese are grumbling about the amendments we have
But we are suggested to the text provisionally agreed in 1973. reasonably optimistic, both because the political atmosphere is much better now and because China has meanwhile joined ICAO. the UK however there have been two preoccupations.
For
3. The first has been the question of "regional services" between Hong Kong and points in China, which the Chinese want to deal with separately from the present negotiations which they see as being about the trunk route from London. This need not give us any problem. Our main concern is to avoid any argument with the Chinese over the status of Hong Kong which might force both sides to take attitudes which are
The by definition - irreconcilable. point is described in MAED's separate submission to Mr Hurd, a copy of which I have put in this file (Flag D).
4.
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The second matter is the one on which we had to break with the Chinese in 1973: the attitude the Chinese want us to take towards
Taiwan
The which is very important commercially for CPA. attached submission describes how we have reached a reasonable compromise with the Chinese, for which we now need Ministerial approval. It is worth noting that the Philippines Government have just accepted a more or less similar formula (Hong Kong telegram No 564).
/5.
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