TNAG-0957-FCO40-1176-The-Kowloon-Canton-Railway-1980 — Page 20

GPS 295

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 0499212 FEB

CONFIDENTIAL

TO A ORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 108 OF 4 FEBRUARY, 1980

INFO PRIORITY PEKING ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT

нкіс

TOP COP

17311

RECEIVED IN REG.STRY NO. 51 07 FEB 1980

OFFICE LONDON

DESK INDEX

FA

HIGISTRY Action Taken

MY TELNO 164 AND PEKING TELNO 5 TO ME: THROUGINORA

RAIN SERVICE.

AW X2

1. NCNA TODAY TOLD THE POLITICAL ADVISER THAT ONE OF THEIR

DEPUTY DIRECTORS HAD GONE TO GUANGZHOU LAST WEEK TO SORT OUT

THE PROBLEM OF THE THROUGH TRAIN, NCNA HAD ARGUED STRONGLY THAT

THE SUDDEN POSTPONEMENT OF THE SECOND SERVICE WOULD CAUSE GREAT

DIFFICULTY FOR THOSE INTENDING TO VISIT CHINA DURING THE SPRING FESTIVAL. (SEPARATELY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE (CTS) ARGUED SIMILARLY). AS A RESULT IT HAD BEEN AGREED THAT THE SECOND SERVICE WOULD BE REINSTATED BEFORE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR,

PROBABLY ON 10 OR 11 FEBRUARY. THERE WILL NOW BE FURTHER

DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO RAILWAY ADMINISTRATIONS TO FINALISE

DETAILS.

рее

6)

2. ACCORDING TO NCNA THE DIFFICULTY WAS DUE TO PROBLEMS BETWEEN

DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE BUREAUCRACY. THEY IMPLIED STRONGLY

THAT IMMIGRATION, CUSTOMS AND BORDER CONTROL HAD REFUSED TO CO-

OPERATE ON STARTING THE SERVICE ON 1 FEBRUARY.

}

3. P.A. TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REFER TO THE REQUEST FROM CTS

FOR HELP IN ARRANGING ADDITIONAL CHARTER FLIGHTS THROUGH CPA

(PCKING'S TUR). POINTING OUT THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF CHARTER

FLIGHTS FROM HONG KONG HAD ALREADY BEEN AGREED OVER THE LUNAR NEW YEAR PERIOD, HE SAID WE WANTED TO SEE SCHEDULED SERVICES, AS AGREED UNDER THE ASA, STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT CPA WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY IN ARRANGING FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH CAAC TO IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT AND THAT B.A. HAD BEEN HAVING SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES, HE HOPED THAT NONA WOULD DO WHAT THEY COULD TO GET DISCUSSIONS STARTED AS QUICKLY AS

POSSIBLE, NONA UNDERTOOK TO REPORT.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HK & QD FED MAED

MR CORTAZZI

MR MURRAY

MISS BROWN

CONFIDENTIAL

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT OF CE

LONDON