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115726 MDTTAN 60
ROK DELEGATION WAS/WAS LED BY KIM SUK-WOO, MFA DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR ASIA, AND INCLUDED OFFICIALS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION MINISTRY. THE CHINESE WAS DRAWN ENTIRELY FROM CAAC.
THE TWO SIDES FAILED TO REACH AGREEMENT.
THE MAJOR DIFFICULTIES WERE:
ACCORDING TO JEON,
A) GROUND-CONTROL BOUNDARIES. THE CHINESE WANTED TO SET THE BOUNDARY AT 125 DEGREES EAST. THE ROK HAD REJECTED THIS, BECAUSE THE LINE OF LONGITUDE CUT THROUGH THE WEST COAST OF (NORTH) KOREA (NOTE THE ROK STILL CLAIMS TO BE THE LEGITIMATE DE IURE AUTHORITY FOR THE WHOLE OF KOREA), ROK TERRITORIAL WATERS AND SEVERAL OUTLAYING ISLANDS ON THE WEST COAST. THE ROK HAD PROPOSED 124 DEGREES EAST, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY THE BOUNDARY ACCEPTED BY ICAO, BUT THE CHINESE HAD REFUSED. JEON SAID HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CHINESE SHOULD OBJECT, SINCE THE LINE DID NOT CUT THROUGH EITHER COUNTRY'S TERRITORIAL WATERS. HOWEVER JEON DID MENTION THAT THE ICAO BOUNDARY HAD BEEN SET AT A TIME WHEN TAIWAN WAS STILL OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED AS THE LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA.
B) AIR ROUTES. THE ROK WANTED SERVICES BETWEEN SEOUL AND PEKING: THE CHINESE HAD ONLY OFFERED SERVICES FROM SEOUL TO TIANJIN AND SHANGHAI. THE ROK HAD ALSO WANTED UPTO FOUR FLIGHTS PER WEEK BY THE RESPECTIVE NATIONAL CARRIERS TO EACH DESTINATION, IE UPTO 16 FLIGHTS PER WEEK. THE CHINESE WERE ONLY PREPARED TO OFFER AN IRREGULAR CHARTER SERVICE.
C) DESIGNATED CARRIERS. THE CHINESE HAD INSISTED THAT THE ROK ONLY DESIGNATE ONE CARRIER. JEON SAID THAT THIS HAD BEEN UNACCEPTABLE: THE CHINESE HAD NO RIGHT TO DEMAND A SINGLE CARRIER UNDER ICAO REGULATIONS AND THEIR BEHAVIOUR WAS IRRATIONAL'. (NOTE: THE ROK GOVERNMENT ALSO PROBABLY WANT TO ENSURE ACCESS TO CHINA FOR BOTH KOREAN AIR AND ASIANA.)
THUS THE TALKS HAD BROKEN DOWN AND JEON COULD NOT SAY WHEN THE NEXT ROUND WOULD TAKE PLACE (CF: THIRD TUR). JEON ADDED THAT THESE TALKS WERE RESTRICTED TO DIRECT AIR SERVICES AND THEREFORE DID NOT AFFECT HONG KONG.
ROK/PRC TRADE TALKS
5. A CCOIC DELEGATION WOULD BE ARRIVING IN SEOUL W/C 16 DECEMBER FOR TRADE TALKS. JEON HOPED THAT AN INVESTMENT PROTECTION AGREEMENT MIGHT BE SIGNED AT THAT MEETING. JEON WAS HOWEVER UNSURE
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