TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 23

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JANUARY AND IT COULD EVEN BE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

THE NEW REGIME WOULD

BRING WITH IT SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER FARES BETWEEN AUSTRALIA, AND-

UK. THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT WAS THEN LIKELY TO COME UNDER

PRESSURE FROM THEIR OWN PUBLIC OPINION IF THEY HAD TO ADMIT THAT

THEY WERE NOT EVEN IN DISCUSSION WITH US ABOUT CORRESPONDING

REDUCTIONS IN THE FARES BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND THE UK.

4.

LYNCH SAID HE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNWARE OF THESE IMPLICATIONS

OR OF THE CONTACTS WHICH ROGERS TOLD HIM HAD TAKEN PLACE SOME WEEKS

AGO BETWEEN THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENTS.

HE

UNDERTOOK TO REPORT BACK URGENTLY AND SEEK FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. 5. ROGERS SAID THAT WHILE A FURTHER MEETING OF THE KIND WHICH HAD

TAKEN PLACE IN FEBRUARY AND MAY WAS UNLIKELY TO ACHIEVE RESULTS,

WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ARRANGE INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH ONE OR TWO

PEOPLE FROM NEW ZEALAND AT SHORT NOTICE. THIS MIGHT BE EITHER IN

LONDON OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH POSSIBLE TALKS WITH THE COUNTRIES

OF SE ASIA EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR,

OWEN

FILES.

MAED SWPD

HKIGD MISS BROWN

COPIES TO:

CAD/DOT

:

;

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