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HICC 020/5
44
053510
MDLIAN 2689
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FM ATTC TAIPEI
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 124
OF 130651Z MAY 93
RECE
TA
ML 93
да
мират
to je aware
INFO ROUTINE BTC HONG KONG, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, OTTAWA, TOKYO
COURIER SERVICE TO AND FROM TAIPEI
1. THE PROBLEM OF A LACK OF CLASSIFIED BAG SERVICE TO THIS POST WAS RAISED IN PARAGRAPH 39 OF LANDOLT'S SECURITY REPORT SENT UNDER COVER OF HIS LETTER TO ME OF 22 JULY 92.
2. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH DEBATE BETWEEN THE OLD COMMONWEALTH MISSIONS AND OURSELVES AS TO HO TO HANDLE CLASSIFIED MAIL. AT THE MOMENT THIS IS BEING CARRIED BY CASUAL, BUT NOT SECURE, MEANS ON AN AD HOC BASIS BETWEEN HERE AND HONG KONG.
3. THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE NOW CONTACTED US TO SAY THAT THEY WILL BE PUTTING IN PLACE A FULL AUSTRALIA-BASED COURIER SERVICE IN ABOUT A MONTH'S TIME. THEY ARE WILLING TO INCLUDE OURSELVES, THE CANADIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS IN THIS SERVICE, THE PRECISE DETAILS OF WHICH WOULD BE AGREED AS BETWEEN CAPITALS AND THEN PUT INTO PLACE AS BETWEEN THE OFFICES HERE.
4. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SERVICE IS LIKELY TO RUN FROM HONG KONG TO TAIPEI, THEN TAIPEI TO TOKYO. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL FOR THIS POST WOULD BE SENT TO HONG KONG TO CONNECT WITH THE AUSTRALIAN COURIER, AND THEN CLASSIFIED MATERIAL FROM HERE WOULD BE CARRIED TO TOKYO FOR DROPPING OFF THERE. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT BTC HONG KONG AND TOKYO WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HANDLE THIS MATERIAL AND TO CONNECT UP WITH THE AUSTRALIAN COURIER THROUGH THE LOCAL AUSTRALIAN MISSIONS.
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5 I HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO ALL CONCERNED. THE VOLUME WOULD NOT BE GREAT BUT IT WOULD GIVE US A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RELIEF AND ENSURE SECURE HANDLING OF OUR SENSITIVE MATERIAL.
6. THE AUSTRALIANS, NEW ZEALANDERS AND CANADIANS ALL HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE MFA HERE ON THEIR IMMUNITY FOR GREETING COURIERS AND RECEIVING AND DESPATCHING DIPLOMATIC BAGS. THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE ASKED THAT WE TOO SEEK SUCH AN AGREEMENT. I HAVE
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