TNAG-0778-FCO40-982-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 19

GR 200

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

FM F C O 231115Z

CONFIDENTIAL

-HKR 184/1

2 MAY 1978

DENK OFICER

NO. 51

INDEX

ΡΑ

Actio

CONFIDENTIAL

по

TO PRICRITY SINGAPORE TELEGRAM NO 138 OF 23 MAY INFO HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND BCARFE), KUALA LUMPUR

See/311

274,

288

YOUR TELNO 175: UK/SINGAPORE AIR SERVICES

1. WE HAD NOT (REPEAT NOT) BEEN CONTEMPLATING EMBARKING ON A

RE-NEGOTIATION OF THE ASA WITH SINGAPORE,

2. YOU SHOULD BY NOW HAVE RECEIVED A COFY OF STABLE'S LETTER OF

10 MAY TO LIAN, SETTING OUT THE TERMS OF THE PROPOSED PACKAGE. IN OUR VIEW, THIS WOULD BE AN EXTREMELY ADVANTAGEOUS DEAL AND WE

ARE ANXIOUS NOT TO LOSE THIS BIG CATCH.

3. WE ARE THEREFORE CHARY OF OPENING UP DISCUSSIONS AT THIS STAGE

WITH THE SINGAPOREAN GOVERNMENT WHICH WOULD INEVITABLY TEND TO

RUB THEIR NOSES IN THE DISADVANTAGES OF THIS DEAL FOR SINGAPORE.

IT IS CLEAR FROM BCARFE'S REPORT IN JAKARTA TELNO ALLOT 6 THAT SIA

HAVE DISCUSSED THE PROPOSED DEAL WITH THEIR GOVERNMENT AND THAT THE SINGAPOREAN GOVERNMENT IS NOT LIKELY TO RAISE ANY OBJECTIONS TO WHATEVER SIA MAY ACCEPT. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE WOULD PREFER TO AWAIT THE OUTCOME OF THE FURTHER ROUND OF TALKS WITH PILLAY AND LIM, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN FIXED FOR 7 JUNE (THIS BEING THE EARLIEST ROGERS COULD OFFER).

4. NATURALLY, HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION THAT THE SINGAPOREAN GOVERNMENT TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW FROM THE ONE CONVEYED BY SIM KEE BOON TO BCARFE, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW OF IT IN ADVANCE.

OVEN

[COPIES SENT TO DOT//CAD]

FILES

MAED

SEAD

MISS BROWN MR.MURRAY

HKGD

CONFIDENTIAL