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2
(contd)
2.
2.
(c)
The auswer to the larry Mu. Passy's Quecimis in
20 Jan. indicated Fuat a airport-war
windved. 3.
Lecoud
(a)
(e)
the proposal for an airport at Macau is, we understand, supported not only by Leandro but also by :
(i)
-
some (but not all) of the syndicate whose gambling and hydrofoil services would gain from the project and who may be able to drum up some support from the Communists; and
(ii) those airlines at present excluded from or unsatisfied by Kai Tak, in particular, SAS, K L M and Air France;
Kai Tak on current estimates, will run out of space for existing rights-holders in the 1980s and therefore some other airport capacity will have to be created in order to satisfy customers; meanwhile, the cost and pollution objections to Kai Tak are unlikely to diminish;
the proposal considered in the consultancy study is not for a second airport, but rather for a replacement airport for Kal Tak;
(f) if Macau establishes any kind of airport, there
will be air traffic control problems, which will involve coordination between us and Macau and probably the Chinese, if only the latter as a sleeping partner.
Turning to tactics, therefore, our own advice would be that you either continue to delay replying to
Dim the Portuguese Note as you have seen from para 5 of
11/3.
Alan Donald's letter of 13 October, there is at least a possibility of Leandro leaving Macau at the end of this year; or reply along the lines of para 2 of Denys Roberts' letter to the Portuguese Consul-General here of 19 November. I enclose a draft text.
CC
BT C (Mr R WH Davies)
Chanceries
Encls:
:
Peking
Lisbon
ever,
Charles
(C D S Drace-Francis)
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