TNAG-0780-FCO40-984-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 6

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Action Tea

TO ROUTINE GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 693 OF 11 SEPTEMBER AND TO ECARFE.

YOUR TELNO 1065: UK/SCANDINAVIA AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS.

1. IT NOW SEEMS INCREASINGLY UNLIKELY THAT SAS WILL WANT A

HONG KONG ROUTE. SAS'S NEW CHAIRMAN SEEMS MORE LIKELY TO REDUCE

PRESENT UNECONOMIC ROUTES THAN TO INITIATE NEW ONES AS WITNESSED BY HIS REMARKS DURING A RECENT PRESS INTERVIEW (CCPY OF REPORT BY ZAG).

2. SINCE IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO DISCUSS THE TRANS-PACIFIC CARGO RATES ISSUE (YOUR TELNO 1059) AND HONG KONG-GULF QUESTION (ALTHOUGH WE STILL LACK VITAL. INFORMATION FROM BA/CX TO COMPLETE THE STUDY), WE SUGGEST THAT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVES IN LONDON ON, SAY, 2 OCTOBER. IF HONG KONG ROUTE IS UNEXPECTEDLY RAISED IN COPENHAGEN, HE CAN EITHER JOIN UK DELEGATION THERE FROM LONDON OR WE WOULD ADVISE HIM TO DIVERT TO COPENHAGEN. THIS TIMING WOULD ALLOW TALKS ON TRANS-PACIFIC RATES ON, SAY, TUESDAY/ WEDNESDAY, AND ON GULF QUESTION ON WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY.

OWEN

FILES

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HKJGD

NAD

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MR NICHOLSON CAA, SPACE

HOUSE

MISS BROWN

MR MURRAY MR HALL

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