CONFIDENTIAL
GR 290
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AKK 184/5.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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· 8 NOV 1979
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FM HONG KONG 053245Z NOV -
TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1554
1554 OF 5 NOVEMBER, 1979
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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON. MA in thing, incidentally,
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YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 887: AIR SERVICES ON LONDON/HONG KONG ROUTE.
1. WE ARE GREATLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE BILL DOES NOT INCLUDE
A PROVISION TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF BRITISH AIRLINE''
NOTWITHSTANDING OUR REPRESENTATIONS AND THE ACKNOWLEDGED PREJUDICE AGAINST ANY HONG KONG BASED AIRLINE UNDER THE
EXISTING LEGISLATION. WHEN THE HONG KONG PUBLIC BECOMES AWARE OF THIS OMISSION, THE LOCAL REACTION WILL BE ADVERSE. PRESS QUERIES ARE LIKELY TO RESULT AND WE WOULD NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF QUESTIONS BEING ASKED IN LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
2. SINCE WE ARE UNAWARE OF THE REASONS FOR DECISION NOT TO INCLUDE SUCH AN AMENDMENT, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR URGENT GUIDANCE AS TO HOW THE OMISSION OUGHT TO BE EXPLAINED. WE
WOULD ALSO NEED GUIDANCE ON THE INEVITABLE SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION AS TO WHY IT IS NOT POSSIBLE EVEN NOW TO MOVE AN
AMENDMENT IN THE HOUSE TO REMOVE THE PREJUDICE.
3. IF THE REPLIES ARE NOT PUBLICLY CONVINCING, THERE COULD EE A PUBLIC OUTCRY WHICH WOULD STIR UP OLD RESENTMENTS OVER THE WAY IN WHICH HONG KONG LANDING RIGHTS ARE BEING USED BY U.K. WE WOULD FERVENTLY WISH TO AVOID SUCH A DAMAGING PUBLIC WRANGLE, WHICH WOULD SPILL OVER TO OTHER AREAS OF HONG KONG - U.K. RELATIONS. OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE BEEN TRYING WITH SOME SUCCESS TO PERSUADE HONG KONG PEOPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BRITISH CONNECTION AND TO BUY BRITISH.
CONFIDENTIAL
|MUCH