CALL BY MR JI CHAOZHU, CHINESE AMBASSADOR, ON THE VICE MARSHAL ON
MONDAY 12 OCTOBER 1987
SPEAKING NOTE
1.
Parking
want to take this opportunity
I have asked you to call, to discuss our mutual difficulties over parking. This has unfortunately been a problem for some time now and Ministers have asked me to say the time has now come when we
must find a solution.
2.
3.
a
You are aware of course, of Mr Gillmore's offer on 14 April that we would be prepared to disregard all past fines in return for an undertaking that no further fines would be incurred by any of the Embassy's cars in the vicinity of, or away from, the Mission premises. He made clear that we would also be prepared toput strong case to Westminster City Council for a fifth parking space. You are algo aware that Mr Gillmore pointed out that unless the situation was satisfactorily resolved we would have no option but to request the removal of the driver of the car that incurred an unacceptable number of fines in 1986 or the member of staff responsible for the official car fleet.
When Mr Yue called on Mr Cooper, Head of Far Eastern Department, on 3 September, he said that the Chinese side had responded to this offer when Mr Hu Dingyi told Mr Gillmore at his farewell call that the only solution to the problem was for the Embasy to be provided with more parking spaces and that the provision of one extra space was quite inadequate. I fear that from our point of view,, this does not amount to a satisfactory response.
However,
they are
We are of course aware that in an ideal world the Embassy would be provided with the parking spaces they feel they require. parking spaces are not within the gift of the FCO entirely controlled by the Councils. Westminster City Council have a strict policy that in no circumstances will they provide a diplomatic mission with more than 5 spaces.
The Council policy is
based on a responsibility to ensure a fair distribution of
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