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* OFFICER
TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O TEL NO.1188 OF 6 OCTOBER 78, No ha
INFO PRIORITY PEKING.
YOUR TELNOS.598 AND 599 TO PEKING :
AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT.
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1. ALTHOUGH WE MUST LEAVE TIMING AND TACTICS TO YOU AND PEKING, SEEN FROM HERE IT WOULD BE WRONG TO PUT FORWARD ANY DETAILED PROPOSALS CONNECTED WITH AN A.S.A UNTIL WE DECIDE, AS A RESULT OF THE PAPER YOU HAVE COMMISSIONED, (PARA.2 OF ALLEN'S LETTER TO STABLES, D.O.T, OF 31 AUGUST), HOW MUCH IT IS IN OUR INTERESTS
TO PRESS FOR AN AGREEMENT. OUR TELNO.1167 SUGGESTS THAT HUANG HUA MAY HIMSELF RAISE THE A.S.A. THIS, COUPLED WITH SIGNS THAT THE CHINESE MAY BE MORE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING AIRLINKS THAN ARE B.A, SEEM TO US ARGUMENTS FOR LETTING THE CHINESE MAKE THE
RUNNING.
2. THE FIRST PART OF THE FORM OF WORDS IN YOUR TELNO.599 IS A
POSSIBLE STARTER IF WE HAVE TO GO THAT FAR. BUT THE LAST
SENTENCE WILL NOT DO. WHATEVER C.A.L IS, IT IS NOT ''PRIVATE''
AN ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE: ''THE EXISTING REGIONAL SERVICES
BETWEEN HONG KONG AND TAIWAN ARE OPERATED UNDER A NON-GOVERNMENTAL
COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AIRLINES CONCERNED.'' HOWEVER,
WE HAVE STRONG DOUBTS ABOUT THE WISDOM OF FLOATING ANY SUCH
SUGGESTION UNOFFICIALLY WITH SUNG. BESIDES THE ARGUMENTS IN
PARA.1 FOR PLAYING IT LONG, THE CHINESE WOULD SURELY TAKE IT AS AN OPENING BID AND PRESS FOR MORE. FURTHERMORE, RECENT SIGNS
OF A SLIGHTLY MORE RELAXED ATTITUDE BY CHINA ON TAIWAN MATTERS SUGGESTS THAT WE MIGHT GET AWAY WITH SUBSTANTIALLY LESS, PARTICULARLY IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THE CHINESE HAVE MORE TO GAIN
FROM AN A.S.A THAN WE DO.
MACELHOSE
FILES
COPIES TO
FED
MR CORTAZZI
CAIR DIVN
DOT
HK & GD MAED
MR MURRAY
CONFIDENTIAL