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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 689
OF 051108Z MAY 93
AND TO IMMEDIATE HANOI, BANGKOK
INFO IMMEDIATE DOT
DOT FOR IAD AND CAA
(22)
HKCC 181/17
3
030571 MDHIAN 9694
RECER
93
ра
HANOI TELNO 181: REGIONAL AIR NAVIGATION MEETING: VIETNAM FIR
1. TUR CROSSED WITH OUR TELNO 62 TO HMA HANOI. SEEN FROM HERE WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE VIETNAMESE SHOULD HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE UK/HK DELEGATION HAVE TAKEN A POSITION OPPOSED TO THEIRS.
2. WE HAVE ADHERED CLOSELY TO THE LINE AGREED WITH MILLS AND TOAL IN HONG KONG PRIOR TO THE TEAM'S DEPARTURE FOR BANGKOK. BEARING IN MIND THE CHINESE SENSITIVITIES OF WHICH YOU ARE AWARE (PARA 2 OF OUR TELNO 39 TO HANOI REFERS), OUR STANCE HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY NEUTRAL. IT MAY BE THIS WHICH IS NOW IRRITATING THE VIETNAMESE. BUT THERE IS NO FOUNDATION IN THE CLAIM THAT THE DELEGATION HAS BEEN 'STRONGLY OPPOSED TO VIETNAM'.
3. WE HAVE JUST HAD SIGHT OF THE DRAFT REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE RELEVANT WORKING GROUP AT THE RAN. THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE VIETNAMESE HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING THEIR OBJECTIVES. SO ONE POSSIBILITY IS THAT THEY ARE SIMPLY KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
4. APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO MEET YOUR DESKBY TIME.
FORD
YYYY
1
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DISTRIBUTION
54
.AIR SERVICES
AMD
LEGAL ADVISERS
PUSD//MR HARRISON E203
SEAD
FED
HKD
PS
PS/MR LENNOX-BOYD PS/PUS
MR CROWE
MR BONE
MR HUM
MR MASEFIELD
030571
MDHIAN 694
ADDITIONAL
6
D/TP//IAD RM $608 D/TP//IAD/MR GOLDMAN
CAA//INT AVIATION&TOURISM DIV CAA//INT AVIATION DIV
NNNN
2
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FM HANOI
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HKCC 181/17
RECOM
STRY
MA. 1993
SKC
INDEX
IST
on Tok
TO DESKBY 05080OZ FCO
TELNO
181
05040OZ MAY 93
AND TO DESKBY 05043OZ HONG KONG
AND TO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK
ra
027725
MDHIAN 9632
Mk/valna
ASAS
FCO TELEGRAM NUMBER 123 TO BANGKOK: REGIONAL AIR NAVIGATION
MEETING: VIETNAM FIR
D
1 NIEN, VICE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS TOLD ME THAT THE
VIETNAMESE DELEGATION TO THE REGIONAL AIR NAVIGATION MEETING IN
BANGKOK HAVE REPORTED THAT THE HONG KONG DELEGATION ARE 'STRONGLY OPPOSED TO VIETNAM'.
2. NIEN SAID THAT THIS REPORT DID NOT SQUARE WITH WHAT HE HAD
BEEN TOLD WHEN HE VISITED HONG KONG RECENTLY. HE STRESSED THE
VERY HIGH LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE THAT VIETNAM ATTACHED TO RESUMPTION OF CONTROL OF THE FIR. WHEN I, IN THE LIGHT OF THE INSTRUCTIONS SENT TO THE UK DELEGATION AT THE REGIONAL AIR NAVIGATION MEETING (TUR), QUERIED THE ACCURACY OF THE VIETNAMESE DELEGATION REPORT, NIEN SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN CONFIRMED BY VU KHOAN CANOTHER VICE
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS) WHO HAD BEEN IN BANGKOK AT THE TIME
ATTENDING ANOTHER MEETING.
3.
IN THE LIGHT OF THE OUTCOME OF NIEN'S VISIT TO HONG KONG AS
SPECIAL ENVOY OF THE VIETNAMESE PRIME MINISTER IN ORDER TO DISCUSS THIS QUESTION AND THE INSTRUCTIONS IN TUR, I FIND THIS DEVELOPMENT SURPRISING. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE VIETNAMESE ARE CONFUSED AND THAT THERE ARE NOW SUSPICIONS OF OUR AND HONG KONG'S GOOD FAVOUR. I AM TAKING ALISTAIR ASPREY, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY TO A DINNER IN HIS HONOUR, HOSTED BY NIEN THIS EVENING. AS A MEMBER OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE THE VIETNAMESE ATTACH TO THIS ISSUE, ASPREY WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE TACKLED ABOUT THE ALLEGED POSITION OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DELEGATION IN BANGKOK. IT IS PERHAPS SIGNIFICANT THAT AN APPOINTMENT ALREADY ARRANGED FOR ASPREY TO MEET VU KHOAN THIS AFTERNOON HAS NOW BEEN
CANCELLED.
4. GRATEFUL THAT ANY CLARIFICATION/EXPLANATION THAT HONG KONG OR BANGKOK COULD PROVIDE WHICH SHOULD REACH US DESKBY 051OOOZ.
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