TNAG-0869-FCO40-1079-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 15

CODE 18-77

278%

Miss Stoddart MAED

(G66/1)

CONFIDENTIAL

AIR SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA

1.

Акк

Hur. 184/2

OVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

2 8 NOV 1979

DESK OFFICER

INDER

No

1

?

Arion Talun

828.11

Mr Kobayashi, First Secretary at the Japanese Embassy, called to ask what agreement had been reached between us and the Chinese on air services between Hong Kong and points in China. He had noticed the reference to regional services in the press release put out at the time the ASA was signed, but had found no mention of Hong Kong in the published text of the Agreement. After con- sulting you and Mr Fursland, I gave Mr Kobayashi the following information, drawn from the material approved for press briefing at the time the ASA was announced:

2.

"CAAC may immediately start services from Shanghai and other cities in China to Hong Kong. Also between Peking and Hong Kong when services start on the trunk route.

"On the British side, a Hong Kong based carrier may also start services between Hong Kong and Shanghai from the outset, and between Hong Kong and Peking as soon as British Airways cease to operate through Hong Kong on the trunk route".

Mr Kobayashi pointed out that the trunk routes, as decribed in the Annex to the Agreement, made no mention of stops in Hong Kong. I agreed that this was so. This was because neither side saw any advantage in putting down in writing something that could be seen as having implications for Hong Kong's status. By leaving it unsaid, both sides were free to assume that Hong Kong was a point in their territory, and hence there was nothing contradictory

in aircraft of both nationalities landing there.

#

28 November 1979

cc Mr Fursland FED

WE Quantrill

Hong Kong and General Department K247 233 4381

CONFIDENTIAL

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