CONFIDENTIAL
5. RAINBIRD UNDERSTOOD THAT THE SINGAPOREANS HAD RECENTLY TOLD THE
JAPANESE THAT IF THE LATTER WERE TO AGREE TO LOW POINT-TO-POINT
FARES WITH THE AUSTRALIANS. THE ASEANS WOULD REGARD IT AS ''AN
UNFRIENDLY ACT''. THE JAPANESE HAD SUBSEQUENTLY DISPLAYED SOME
NER VOUSNESS. THEY HAVE APPARENTLY DESCRIBED RECENT JAPANESE-AUSTRALIA TALKS ON FARES TO THE ASEANS AS BEING PURELY AT THE AIRLINE LEVEL (WITHOUT REVEALING THAT THEY FLOW FROM A FORMAL GOVERNMENT-TO- COVERNMENT EXCHANGE). THE AUSTRALIANS TOLD THE JAPANESE THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHEAP HONG KONG-AUSTRALIA FARES HAD ALREADY BEEN MUCH DELAYED. TRAVELLERS WOULD OBVIOUSLY GO VIA HONG KONG RATHER THAN DIRECT IF THE HONG KONG FARES WERE IN PLACE IN ADVANCE OF A JAPANESE PACKAGE. (RAINBIRD CLEARLY SAW THIS AS AN ARGUMENT TO ENCOURAGE THE JAPANESE RATHER THAN AS A REASON FOR FURTHER DELAYING CH HONG KONG).
6. PLEASE PROTECT RAINBIRD'S CONFIDENCES.
TEBBIT
FILES
MAED
SEAD.
SPD.
itk&Go
MR CORTAZZ21 MISS BROWN. MR MURRAY
[COPIES SENT TO CHOPOT].
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