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3. SIA OFFICIALS ARE NOT SURPRISED BY MR NIXON'S STATEMENT, WHICH THEY KNEW WAS COMING. THEY ARE AWARE, TOO, THAT QANTAS HAS BEEN BUSY TRYING TO SOFTEN UP OTHER REGIONAL AIRLINES.
4. LEE KUAN YEW TACKLED BY AUSTRALIAN COLLEAGUE AND ME AT THE AIRPORT ON SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN WE WERE SEEING OFF CHANCELLOR SCHMIDT. HE SPOKE ON THE LINES OF THE NEW NATION LEADER.. THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER, WHO DOES NOT SHARE HIS GOVERNMENT'S OPTIMISM THAT THEY CAN NEGOTIATE THIS SCHEME THROUGH THE OBJECTIONS OF OTHER COUNTRIES AND FEARS CONSEQUENCES FOR AUSTRALIAN RELATIONS IN THE AREA, REPLIED THAT HE WOULD LIKE LEE TO SAY TO MR FRASER WHAT HE HAD JUST SAID TO US. 1 SAID THAT MR NIXON'S STATEMENT MADE CLEAR THAT THESE WERE AUSTRALIAN PROPOSALS WHICH WERE SUBJECT TO DISCUSSION WITH US AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS, BUT WE WERE NATURALLY INTERESTED IN IMPROVING COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR NATIONAL AIRLINE. LEE SAID WITH A GRIN THAT IN THAT AND MUCH ELSE WE NEEDED ALL THE FRIENDS WE COULD FIND AROUND THE WORLD. HE DID NOT PRESS US FURTHER AND WE MOVED ON TO OTHER THINGS: HE WAS IN A GOOD MOOD BECAUSE
SCHMIDT'S VISIT HAD GONE WELL.
HENNINGS
*
FILES
MAED
SEAD
SWPD
SAD
HK & GD
MR BUTLER
MISS BROWN MR MURRAY MR CORTAZZI
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
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