TNAG-0869-FCO40-1079-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 153

GR 180

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL 184/12--

FM F C O 021642Z AUG 79

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 439 OF 2 AUGUST

INFO HONG KONG.

6 AUG 1979

ACER

PA

ᄏ

YOUR TELNO 672: UK/PRC AIR SERVICES AND GATWICK.

NO.

j

233

& Xx

ра

_PA NA 3/8

235

1. IT IS HIGHLY DESIRABLE THAT THE GATWICK ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE PREMIER HUA'S VISIT. IF THE AGREEMENT WERE SIGNED DURING THE VISIT WITH CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY

FAILED TO REACH AGREEMENT ON GATWICK THIS COULD BE PRESENTATIONALLY

DAMAGING. INDEED IF WE CANNOT REACH AGREEMENT BEFORE THE VISIT WE

DOUBT WHETHER SIGNATURE COULD GO AHEAD AS CURRENTLY ENVISAGED.

2. PLEASE THEREFORE SEEK AN EARLY APPOINTMENT WITH CA AC TO MAKE A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL FOR THEM TO VISIT GATWICK ON WHATEVER DATES IN,

EARLY SEPTEMBER WOULD BE CONVENIENT FOR THEM. WE WILL MAKE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CHINESE TEAM WHENEVER IT WISHES TO COME, YOU COULD POINT OUT THAT ROGERS' LETTER IN YOUR TELEGRAM

UNDER REFERENCE STATES THAT QUOTE WE AGREED THAT THE TWO SIDES WOULD CONSULT EACH OTHER ABOUT THIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNQUOTE. YOU SHOULD STRESS THE IMPRTANCE WE ATTACH TO AN EARLY RESOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE, BUT WE LEAVE IT TO YOUR DISCRETION WHETHER TO PUT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF PREMIER HUA'S VISIT.

3. IN VIEW OF THE WIDER POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS YOU MAY WISH TO

KEEP THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN THE PICTURE.

CARRINGTON

FILES

MAED

FED

[COPIES

IS

SENT TO CAD DOT]

HKOG D PSILPS

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MISS BROWN

CONFIDENTIAL

: