TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 27

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

6 December 1978

708

GT Rogers Esq

Civil Aviation International Relations Dipisic

Department of Trade

1 Victoria Street SW1H OET

Dear George,

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS: CHINA

HKIS 184/1

LEIJED HI REQISTAY NO. 51

OR INDEX

675

No

-

8 DEC 1978

RY

•ction Ten

B = CE

1. Thank you for your letter of 28 November, enclosing a draft reply to Adrian Swire's letter of 15 November. I am sorry not to have replied earlier.

2. I agree generally with the line you propose to take, subject to three comparatively minor comments:

(1)

(11)

Adrian Swire is of course very familiar with the affairs of the region, and it is perhaps unnecessary to spell out the political background in quite so much detail;

It would, I think, be advisable to lay rather more emphasis on the interest that both we and Hong Kong have in there being an air services agreement with China;

(iii) While I agree that we cannot give as reassuring a reply as Cathay Pacific would like, the line we are taking with the Chinese in the hope of avoiding Taiwanese retaliation does perhaps justify a rather more optimistic conclusion.

3.

I enclose a revised version of your draft which takes account of these points. Please make whatever use of it you think fit.

wer

Yours

Joul

DF Murray