(土)
CONFIDEN MAL
OR 250
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING 310305Z JAN 80
HKK 173|1
TOP CO
INDEX
No
RIMR
4/2.
Sel
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 5 OF 31 JANUARY 80
INFO PRIORITY FCO, DOT (CAIR),
ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
FOR GOVERNOR AND BCARFE
YOUR TELNO 164 TO FC0: THROUGH TRAIN SERVICE AND HK/ GUANGZHOU COMMUNICATIONS
1.
G
MCARTHUR OF CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS (CPA) TELEPHONED THE EMBASSY ON 29 JANUARY TO REPORT THAT CAAC HAD SO FAR NOT RESPONDED TO CPA'S REQUEST FOR A MEETING IN PEKING OR SHANGHAI TO DISCUSS THE OPENING OF SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI, WHICH CPA ARE HOPING TO INAUGURATE ON THEIR SIDE ON 26 MARCH. SULLIVAN EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE NOT THE ONLY AIRLINE HAVING DIFFICULTIES IN MAKING APPOINTMENTS WITH CAAC, BUT PROMISED THAT WHEN WE MANAGED TO ARRANGE A CALL ON CAAC OURSELVES (OUR TELNO 62, NOT TO ALL) WE WOULD LOBBY ON CPA'S BEHALF.
2.
MCARTHUR WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE CHINA TRAVEL SERVICE (CTS) IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ARRANGING YET FURTHER FLIGHTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGZHOU OVER THE CHINESE NEW YEAR, OPERATED BY CPA OR BY CAAC CHARTERING CPA AIRCRAFT. THE REASON FOR THIS, CTS HAD EXPLAINED WAS THAT THE SECOND THROUGH TRAIN SERVICE DUE TO START ON 1 FEBRUARY HAD HAD TO BE POSTPONED AS A RESULT OF TECHNICAL RAILWAY PROBLEMS. CTS WERE THEREFORE URGENTLY SEEKING WAYS OF TRANSPORTING THE EXTRA PASSENGERS THEY HAD CJNTRACTED TO CARRY ON THE SECOND TRAIN BETWEEN KOWLOON AND GUANGZHOU.
CONFIDENTIAL
13. THIS