TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 118

331

GPS 265

CYPHER CAT A

FM HY KONG 2603552

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

TO ROUTINE F.C.O TELNO.924 OF 26 JULY 78,

INFO BERNE, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON:

YOUR TELNO.459: U.K/SWITZERLAND AIR SERVICES.

haired with ussed RAED. The pant Ipminiple at x

هفتين

weeds to be ironed aut. Andant DOT

draft

1. WE CONTINUE TO BE PERPLEXED AT THE SUGGESTION THAT THE SPECIFIED NUMBER OF AIR SERVICES LINKING HONG KONG WITH SPECIFIC POINTS IN EUROPE CAN SOMEHOW BE SHARED OUT AND REALLOCATED WITHOUT DISRUPTING OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. WE DO NOT SEE HOW THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SERVICES LINKING HONG KONG AND SWITZERLAND CAN IN ANY WAY OBVIATE THE NEED FOR LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND SCANDINAVIA. THE ANALOGY TO SUCH AN ARGUMENT WOULD BE TO ARGUE THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE SERVICES LINKING LONDON AND NEW YORK THERE IS NO NEED FOR SERVICES LINKING LONDON AND

MONTREAL.

PA

2. PARA.2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE SUGGESTS THAT THERE YOU IS A SERIOUS MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE HONG KONG POSITION.

MAY WELL HAVE BEEN EVEN-HANDED IN YOUR TREATMENT BETWEEN BA AND CPA BUT THE HONG KONG INTEREST IS MUCH MORE THAN THE CPA INTEREST. INDEED, ON OCCASIONS THE HONG KONG INTEREST MAY BE CONTRARY TO THE CPA INTEREST. AS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF THE FACILITIES WHICH MAKE TRAFFIC RIGHTS IN AND OUT OF HONG KONG EXERCISABLE AT ALL, WE FEEL THAT IN ANY CONFLICT OUR INTEREST SHOULD PREVAIL OVER THAT OF ANY AIRLINE. WE ARE BOUND TO PRESS THE POINT UNTIL IT IS ACCEPTED OR UNTIL CONVINCING REASONS ARE

ADVANCED TO DEMONSTRATE OTHERWISE.

ROBERTS

HKK 184/!

27/

FILES

MAED

HK & GD

WED

MISS BROWN

MR.MURRAY

MR. FERGUSSON

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

INDEX

27 JUL 1975

Acton Teken

COPIES TO

HONG KONG GO IN LONDON a

CONFIDENTIAL

1