TNAG-2312-FCO40-3356-Air-services-between-Hong-Kong-and-South-Korea-1991 — Page 62

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MULIAN 8432

ANY SEPARATION. I POINTED OUT TO WANG APPLICATION BEFORE SANCTIONING

HAD IMPORTANT LINKS WITH HONG KONG THAT SOUTH KOREA IN PARTICULAR

SUCH LINKS WERE THREATENED WITH AND THAT IT WOULD BE VERY SERIOUS IF

HE SAID HE REALISED THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. BEING CUT OFF.

·

I ASKED WANG IF THE SAME DIFFICULTIES PERTAINED IN THE HK/BRUNEI CASE. HE SAID NO. THE DIFFICULTIES THERE WERE OF A DIFFERENT NATURE (IE, IT IS NOT PART OF THE SEPARATION PLAN). THE ABSENCE OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN THIS CASE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT. HE LIKENED BRUNEI TO SOME SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES, WITH WHOM CHINA CURRENTLY HAD NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BUT WHERE THERE WAS NO REASON TO SUPPOSE THESE COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED IN THE FUTURE. WHEN I RAISED THE CASE OF TAIWAN, HE CONFIRMED THAT THIS WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE TREATED AS A VERY SPECIAL CASE.

5. WANG CONCLUDED BY SAYING THAT ASAS ON THE LIST OF 24 FOR SEPARATION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. IN ADDITION, HE HOPED TO GIVE US A CLEARER IDEA OF THE CHINESE SIDE'S IDEAS FOR ASAS OUTSIDE THE SEPARATION PROCESS BEFORE JLG X.

LOCALISATION OF MERCHANT SHIPPING LEGISLATION

6. I ASKED WANG TO LET US HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FOUR PAPERS WE HAD GIVEN HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND BEFORE JLG X. HE UNDERTOOK TO DO SO.

COMMENT

7. CONFIRMATION THAT THE CHINESE WILL HAVE PROBLEMS IN HANDLING THE

SOUTH KOREA AND SOUTH AFRICA SEPARATION (WE PRESUME OTHERS SUCH AS

SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA FALL IN THE BRUNEI CATEGORY) IS WORRYING, THOUGH IT IS AS WELL TO HAVE IT OUT IN THE OPEN. WANG SPOKE OF

FINDING WAYS ROUND THE PROBLEM AND GAVE NO HINT THAT CHINA MIGHT

CONSIDER INTERRUPTING AIR LINKS. HE SPOKE LIKE A MAN GETTING SOMETHING OFF HIS CHEST AND SAID AFTERWARDS THAT HE WAS RELIEVED WE WERE NOW FULLY IN THE PICTURE. NEVERTHELESS, IT IS IRRITATING THAT IT HAS TAKEN SOME 4 YEARS FOR THEM TO TELL US THIS MUCH AND THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEAS ON HOW TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. FOR THE MOMENT

HKG SEE NO URGENT NEED TO PRESS THE CHINESE TO RESOLVE THESE DIFFICULT CASES, THOUGH THE SOUTH KOREANS MAY FOLLOW UP THEIR INITIAL APPROACH. THE QUESTION OF AIR SERVICES WITH SOUTH KOREA, SOUTH AFRICA, ISRAEL AND TAIWAN MIGHT PERHAPS BEST BE PURSUED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE IN A PRIVATE MEETING BETWEEN THE HEADS OF THE JLG

DELEGATIONS.

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