TNAG-0868-FCO40-1078-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 44

CONFIDENTIAL

GR 450

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING 290349Z JUNE 79

TO PRIORITY FCO

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 599 OF 29 JUNE 79

HER 184/2

DESK

INDO

*

- 2 JUL 1979

P.P.

FOLLOWING FROM DELEGATION

See (177

(199) 200

193

YOUR TELNO 378:

UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS

•

1. FOR TACTICAL REASONS WE DID NOT WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE GATWICK QUESTION OR BRING IT INTO THE BARGAINING OVER. POINTS OF SUBSTANCE REFERRED TO IN PREVIOUS TELEGRAMS. FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE IT IN LOW KEY AROSE AT MEETING OF DRAFTING GROUP ON 28 JUNE WHEN TEAMS WER LED BY BRYANT AND QIAN ZEMIN.

2. IN DISCUSSION ABOUT ARTICLE IN ASA REGARDING USE OF AIRPORTS, BRYANT MENTIONED THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PRESENT POLICY CAAC SHOULD PLAN ON OPERATING TO GATWICK. THE RECEPTION WAS COOL. QIAN ASKED WHY CAAC SHOULD BE DBPRIVED OF OPPORTUNITY OF USING HEATHROW. BRYANT EXPLAINED CONGESTION AT HEATHROW AND EXTCLLED VIRTUES OF GATWICK ON NORMAL LINES. HE EXPLAINED HMG'S AIRPORT POLICY AND ADDED POINTS FROM PARA 6 OF YOUR TELNO 368. IT APPEARED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST THE CHINESE HAD HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. QIAN SAID HE WOULD REFER THE MATTER TO LU AND WE NOW AVAIT HIS REACTION.

3. AT DRAFTING GROUP MEETING CHINESE RAISED QUESTION OF AIRLINE DESIGNATION. THEY DID NOT ATTEMPT TO SUGGEST THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE ANY SAY IN WHICH OPERATORS HMG SHOULD AUTHOR I SE BETWEEN LONDON AND HONG KONG SEMICOLON BUT SOUGHT TO

INCORPORATE WORDING IN CMU WHICH WOULD HAVE DISBARRED CPA FROM OPERATING ON REGIONAL ROUTES IF THEY WERE ALSO OPERATING ON THE LONDON-HONG KONG ROUTE. BRYANT RESISTED THIS ENERGETICALLY, FOLLOWING THE LINE IN PARA 2 OF TUR. QIAN UNDERTOOK TO REFER THIS POINT ALSO BACK TO LU.

CONFIDENTIAL