DWF G 004/21.
LDX 309
LIM 395/21
In Queflittl
HKK 1843
RR HONG
RUOVED
GRS 320
12JX
CYP CAT
NO DIFUSUTION |
I have not- seen ayting fren FED
хо
0306
130'
FM PEKING 2196302 DEC
CONFIDENTIYO
dei
BY
Nstagy
Het
HIS ARAGD
REPETITION CARLY
•please heep-touch with FED over this
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 53 OF 21 DEC.
номоком
FOLLOWING FOR POLITICAL ADVISER1
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF MY TELE-LETTER TO SAMUEL
IN THE FCO:
823/2
UNSCHEDULED FLIGHTS FROM CHINA TO HONG KONG
1. DAVID WILSON HAS SENT US A COPY OF HIS LETTER
SCR 7/936/49V OF 9 DECEMBER TO YOU ABOUT UNSCHEDULED FLIGHTS.
2.
THE DIFFICULTIES MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH OF THE LETTER AS STANDING IN THE WAY OF A JARDINE CHARTER DO NOT SEEM TO ME SUBSTANTIAL ONES. CHINESE BOEINGS OPERATE REGULARLY TO KARACHI, TEHRAN AND PARIS AND EVEN AS FAR AFIELD AS SAN FRANCISCO AND GATWICK. THEY MUST THEREFORE HAVE EXPERIENCED PILOTS. IT OUGHT ALSO TO BE POSSIBLE TO FIT AT LEAST A FLIGHT IN THE MORNING INTO THE PRESENT TRAFFIC PATTERN, SAY WITH ONE AIRCRAFT BRINGING PASSENGERS DOWN FROM CANTON AND RETURNING THE SAME MORNING WITH PASSENGERS FROM HONG KONG. WE HAVE ALREADY TOLD THE CHINESE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT DISCUSSIONS THAT HONG KONG WOULD MAKE BEST EFFORTS TO KEEP CAAC AND CHINA AIRLINES APART.
3. IN CONTRAST TO THE OBSTACLES WHICH SEEM THEREFORE MINOR, THE ATTRACTIONS OF THE JARDINE IDEA OF A CHARTER FLIGHT SEEM CONSIDERABLE. FIRST, JARDINE AIRWAYS, AND HONG KONG, WOULD EARN REVENUE FROM THE SERVICE. THE CHINESE WOULD ALSO MAKE MONEY FROM THE AIRCRAFT CHARTER AND WOULD IN CONSEQUENCE GAIN A FURTHER INTEREST IN NOT EXAGGERATING THE PROBLEM OF THEIR AIRCRAFT OPERATING INTO HONG KONG. THIS LATTER BENEFIT COULD BE HELPFUL TO US WHEN WE COME TO RESUME DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WHICH, IN THE LIGHT OF CHINESE PLANS TO INCREASE TOURISM SUBSTANTIALLY, WE MAY WELL HAVE TO DO IN THE COMIMG YEAR.
4.
I HOPE THEREFORE THAT UNLESS YOU IN LONDON SEE SOME OBJECTION OF WHICH WE ARE UNAWARE, THE HONG KONG CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT CAN BE PERSUADED TO RECONSIDER THE ISSUE AND ENCOURAGE JARDINES TO FLOAT THE IDEA WITH THE CHINESE.
5.
PLEASE GIVE A COPY OF THIS TELE-LETTER TO THE HEAD OF HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT.
SIGNED: EDWARD YOUDE