TNAG-0779-FCO40-983-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 9

394

GRS 280

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

い

FM SINGAPORE 11010AZ JUL

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK184/...

RECEN

11 JUL 1978

DE OFFIC

INDEX

401

TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 219 OF 11 JULY

No

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR AND BCARFE)

YOUR TELNO 173 : UK/SINGAPORE AIR SERVICES

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1. ALTHOUGH THE FORMAL EXCHANGE OF NOTES WILL BE WITH THE MFA, THEY ARE NOT (NOT) AU FAIT WITH THE MATTER AND THE APPROACH YOU NOW WANT MADE SHOULD, IF IT IS TO BE OF ANY USE, BE TO THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS, WHICH IS THE

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KEY SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE SO FAR HAD NO REACTIONS FROM THEM; BUT WHEN SIM KEE BOON (PERMANENT SECRETARY) TELEPHONED ON ANOTHER MATTER ON 7 JULY, HE TOLD SMITH THAT HE HAD NOT (NOT) SO FAR SEEN ALL THE DETAILS OF THE PILLAY/ ROGERS PACKAGE. THIS MAY MEAN NO MORE THAN THAT THE PROPOSED DEAL IS TAKING TIME TO WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THE MACHINE, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SIM KEE BOON (WHO IS DUE TO HAVE A FURTHER ROUND OF TALKS WITH THE MALAYSIANS AT THE END OF JULY AND IS ALSO KEENLY ALIVE TO THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHEAP FLIGHTS PROPOSALS) WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HIS OPTIONS OPEN A LITTLE LONGER. WE SHALL SOON SEE, NOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR AUTHORITY TO SOUND OUT THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT, AND WE WILL, IF NECESSARY, MAKE THE POINTS IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 5.

2. ON TIMING, IT NOW SEEMS THAT THE PARTIAL SUBSTITUTION OF DC DC10 S UNDER PHASE ONE WILL BE DEFERRED FOR THREE MONTHS SINCE A RECENT SIA PRESS RELEASE REFERS TO THESE AIR- CRAFT BEING INTRODUCED ON THE OSAKA ROUTE FROM OCTOBER 1978. WE MAY ALSO BE ASKED WHEN THE CPA INTEND TO INTRODUCE SERVICES TO THE NEW POINTS (SEE IN PARTICULAR PARAGRAPH 3 OF BCARFE'S TELNO ALLOT 6 OF 16 MAY FROM JAKARTA). GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE COULD OR SHOULD SAY IF ASKED.

HENNINGS

FILES:

MAED

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

SEAD

HK & G D SWPD

CONFIDENTIAL

MISS BROWN

MR MURRAY