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CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM F C 0 161801Z MAY 79
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
HKK 184/2
RELD IN A
INDEX
PRO.
17 MAY 1979
OF
TELEGRAM NUMBER 282 OF 16 MAY 79
то
27.5
YOUR TELNO 440
107
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR CRADOCK FROM CORTAZZI :
AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS.
WHAT FOLLOWS IS BASED ON MEETINGS WITH ROGERS BEFORE HE LEFT. AS IS CUSTOMARY IN AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS LED BY THE DOT, THERE IS NO WRITTEN BRIEF. ROGERS OBJECTIVE WILL BE TO CLINCH THE AGREEMENT ON THE TRUNK ROUTE AND MAKE AS MUCH PROGRESS AS HE CAN AND IF POSSIBLE CLINCH A DEAL ON THE REGIONAL ROUTES. HIS ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHINESE CONDITION THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOT FORMALLY TO COVER THE REGIONAL ROUTES SHOULD REMOVE ONE BONE OF CONTENTION BETWEEN HIM AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. ANOTHER COULD BE CHINESE INSISTENCE THAT NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE REGIONAL ROUTES, WHETHER UNDERTAKEN IN PEKING THIS TIME OR MORE LIKELY LATER PERHAPS ELSE- WHERE, MUST BE BETWEEN A CHINESE NEGOTIATOR OF THEIR CHOICE (ESSENTIALLY A CHINESE DECISION) AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, NOT HMG. ROGERS WILL INSIST THAT HMG SHOULD LEAD ON OUR SIDE AND YOU SHOULD SUPPORT HIM ON THIS POINT. THE HONG KONG/CANTON SERVICE, AGREED BY HMC, SHOULD SERVE AS A PRECEDENT. ROGERS, WHILE REMAINING FIRM ON THE QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE, WILL NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE ON THE MODALITIES. THIS IS A POINT WE HOPE YOU CAN REINFORCE APPROPRIATELY WHEN YOU SEE HIM BEFORE THE NEGOTIATIONS OPEN. BOYCE, MAED, HAS BEEN TOLD TO KEEP IN PARTICULARLY CLOSE TOUCH WITH PETER BRYANT, ROGERS' VERY LEVEL-HEADED DEPUTY, AND NOT TO HESITATE TO BRING ANY PROBLEMS TO YOUR PERSONAL ATTENTION AT AN EARLY STAGE.
*
2. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHICH AIRLINE OR AIRLINES ON OUR SIDE SHOULD PROVIDE THE REGIONAL SERVICES. HERE ROGERS WILL AIM TO BE EVENHANDED BETWEEN BA AND CPA, BUT IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NEED TO BE RESOLVED THIS TIME, GIVEN THAT A FINAL AGREEMENT ON THE REGIONAL ROUTES SEEMS UNLIKELY.
CONFIDENTIAL
13.