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4. NCNA EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT THE FLIGHTS HAD CROSSED THE BORDER. FOLLOWING THE EARLIER DISCUSSIONS WITH APA, THEY HAD BEEN IN TOUCH URGENTLY WITH CANTON TO SAY THAT NO FLIGHTS SHOULD TAKE PLACE UNTIL MATTERS HAD BEEN SORTED OUT WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERN- MENT. THEY THOUGHT WHAT HAD HAPPENED MUST HAVE BEEN A LOCAL INITIATIVE. THEY AGREED THAT THE RIGHT CHANNEL FOR DISCUSSING FLIGHTS OF THIS SORT WAS BETWEEN NCNA AND THE PA'S OFFICE AND THEY UNDERTOOK TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD GONE WRONG.
5. THE ABOVE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. WE DO NOT THINK THAT ANY
FURTHER ACTION IS CALLED FOR AT THIS STAGE. THERE HAS BEEN NO MENTION OF THE INCIDENT IN THE PRESS.
CATER
FILES
HK v GD FED DEF. D PUSD MAED NEWS. D
OID
IPD
PS/ME RIDLEY PS/ ME BLAKER
MR MURRAY HA P.H.MOBERLY LORD BRIDGES MISS GROWN
LOAD N.G. LENNOX
COPIES TO :
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
LONDON
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