TNAG-0868-FCO40-1078-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 30

1203

GR 567

CONFIDENTIAL

200

CON. DENTIAL

PM PSKING 09031ØZ JUL 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 626 OF 9 JULY 79

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

FOLLOWING FROM DELEGATION

Нек

McK 184/2.

O JUL 1979

See/205

YOUR TELNO 397: UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS.

1. AT A FURTHER TETE A TETE ON 7 LULY LU REVERTED TO

THE PROBLEM OF GATWICK (PARA 2 OF OUR TELNO 599 AND PARA 5

OF OUR TELNO 610). THIS TOPIC DOMINATED THE DISCUSSION,

2.

LU MADE ALL THE POINTS WHICH ARE SO FAMILIAR FROM NEGOTIATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, IN FAVOUR OF ALLOWING CAAC

TO OPERATE TO HEATHROW. HE STRESSED THE VERY SMALL SCALE OF

CAAC'S OPERATIONS AND CLAIMED THAT SINCE MOST OF THE IMPORTANT

INTERNATIONAL CARRIERS WERE ALLOWED TO USE HEATHROW, CAAC

SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY. ROGERS REPLIED ON STANDARD

LINES AND INVITED LU TO EXPERIENCE FOR HIMSELF WHAT IT WAS LIKE

FOR AN ORDINARY PASSENGER TO ARRIVE AT HEATHROW DURING THE

MORNING PEAK. LU ACCEPTED THAT THERE WAS VERY BAD CONGESTION

AT HEATHROW AND SAID IT WAS EVEN ON THE CARDS THAT CAAC MIGHT

THEMSELVES DECIDE TO OPERATE TO GATWICK. BUT THEY MUST BE FREE

TO CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES. IF THEY COULD NOT HAVE THE OPTION OF USING HEATHROW, HE DID. NOT SEE ANY POSSIBILITY OF CONCLUDING

AN AGREEMENT.

3.

ROGERS EMPHASISED THAT THE EXCLUSION OF NEW CARRIERS

FROM HEATHROW WAS A UNIVERSAL RULE: BUT LU WAS NOT MOVED BY

THIS. HE KNOWS THAT JAPANESE GAVE CAAC SPECIAL TREATMENT IN

DEALING WITH THEIR AIRPORT PROBLEMS, HE STRESSED ONCE AGAIN

THAT DURING THE INTERVAL WHILE WE HAVE BEEN SEEKING A SOLUTION TO THE CPA/TAIWAN PROBLEM, THE CHINESE HAVE ESTABLISHED SERVICES, OR REACHED AGREEMENTS, WITH OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

AND THAT THESE WILL SUFFICE TO CARRY THE WHOLE TRAFFIC BETWEEN

EUROPE AND CHINA. WHATEVER MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE POSITION IN

1973, A SERVICE TO LONDON WILL NOW BE A COMMERCIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

/EMBARRASSMENT

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