TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 133

CONFIDEN MA Love

NOT A "NATIONAL AIRLINE"". IF HONG KONG STILL HOLDS THE VIEW THAT SUCH A STATEMENT, WITHOUT REFERENCE TO NATIONAL INSIGNIA OR THE NATURE OF HONG KONG/TAIWAN AIR SERVICES, COULD BE MADE WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO CATHAY' PACIFIC'S OPERATIONS TO TAIWAN, THE WAY FORWARD TO SIGNATURE OF THE AGREEMENT MAY BE OPEN,

3. ALTHOUGH WE HAD ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT THE CHINESE WERE

INTERESTED IN THE DIRECT ROUTE TO LONDON AND ALTHOUGH WE

NOTE THE DOT DO NOT FEEL THAT THEY WOULD ASK FOR HONG

KONG UNDER THE PRESENT AGREEMENT, WE THINK THAT THE

CHINESE MAY HAVE REASSESSED THE WHOLE QUESTION AND

CONCLUDED THAT FLIGHTS TO HONG KONG AND POSSIBLY BEYOND

MIGHT BE OF MORE INTEREST TO THEM, AT LEAST. IN THE SHORT

TERM. YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL

CARGO CHARTER FLIGHTS THERE HAS BEEN MUCH SPECULATION

ABOUT CANTON-HONG KONG PASSENGER FLIGHTS DURING THE CANTON TRADE FAIR (15 OCTOBER TO 15 NOVEMBER).

THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR MR DELL TO ATTEMPT TO

DISCOVER AT HIGH LEVEL WHETHER THE CHINESE INDEED HAVE

RE-ASSESSED THEIR ATTITUDE TO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE AGREEMENT. SUBJECT TO HONG KONG'S VIEWS WE THINK TOO

IT WOULD BE VALUABLE IF HE COULD MAKE CLEAR TO THE

CHINESE THAT WE WOULD NATURALLY WISH TO BE HELPFUL OVER

PASSENGER FLIGHTS TO HONG KONG BUT THAT THEY HAVE

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT AND THAT

AN EARLY INDICATION OF CHINESE REQUESTS FOR FLIGHTS WOULD

BE PRUDENT.

CRADOCK

WE

FILES

MAED

FED

HRGD

MISS B.20WN

MR. MURRAY

COPIES

MR ROGERS MR STABLES

скен до

2

"CONFIDENTIAL

to

CAIR/DOT