TNAG-0441-FCO40-506-Visits-of-leading-personalities-of-Hong-Kong-to-UK-1974 — Page 49

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meaning

built Kai Tak from their own resources and think they should

control its use) and commercial (Scandinavian countries are

important trading partners of Hong Kong).

5. The FCO have supported the Hong Kong case but the DTI, who

→ negotiate traffic rights on behalf of HMG, have maintained, and

established, that on purely aviation grounds there is no case.

The FCO have accepted this.

6. The question of SAS has become an increasing irritant in our

bilateral relations with Hong Kong. After negotiations held at

with in Whitchall intervals for over a year, it was finally agreed that an offer

should be made to the Scandinavians of one service a week

Copenhagen-Hong Kong by the southern route (ie, excluding the

Soviet Union). The Governor had previously said that this would

be acceptable to the Hong Kong Government as an immediate offer.

would More than one service a week increasing competition with British

R

and

Airways and the other European airlines would be likely to lead

Jother

to requests for re-negotiation with other airline's bilateral

agreements over rights to Hong Kong.

Fresent Position

7. At a meeting in Copenhagen before Christmas HMG offered the

Scandinavians a Copenhagen-Hong Kong service or politj

with the following provisos:

(a) It should be on a once-weekly basis (in each

direction)

(b) It must follow a southern route;

(c) There must be an aviation quid pro quo (in order

to maintain the important basic principle in

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/respect