TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 271

52

325

IMMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL

HKKI84/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRO. 51

ང

78

555

CYPHER CAT A

FM HONG KONG 041055Z

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 041200Z (FCO AND DOT)

DOK OFFICER

INDEX

Na

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

enf good

See 1592

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 1162 OF 4 OCTOBER 1978

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, DO T, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE

LONDON.

MY TELNO 1153: NON-SCHEDULED FLIGHTS CANTON/HK.

DISCUSSIONS ON 2 AND 3 OCTOBER WERE HELD IN A FRIENDLY AND

CORDIAL ATMOSPHERE. LI EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR HONG KONG'S CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE IN THE PAST AND REMARKED THAT THE APPROVAL OF THE CANTON TRADE FAIR CHARTER FLIGHTS HAD CERTAINLY ENHANCED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA. THE ISSUE OF A SCHEDULED SERVICE WAS NOT RAISED: LI WAS PUNCTILIOUS IN REFERRING TO THE PROPOSED FLIGHTS AS CHARTER SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE DISCUSSIONS AND IN THE SUBSEQUENT PRESS CONFERENCE.

2. THE MEETING ON 3 OCTOBER WAS MAINLY CONFINED TO GOING OVER THE

GROUNDS OF THE PREVIOUS DAY CONCERNING TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS AND, SPECIFICALLY, AGREEING A REVISED ROUTE BETWEEN CANTON AND HONG KONG. THE EXISTING AGREED ROUTE MEANS FLIGHTS TO/FROM CHINA HAVE TO ROUTE VIA A POINT IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY AIRWAY 45 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF HONG KONG: THIS IS MOST UNDESIRABLE FOR REASONS OF FLIGHT SAFETY AND FUEL ECONOMY. AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE HAS NOW BEEN REACHED WITH LI TO A MORE DIRECT ROUTING WHICH INVOLVES A CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN DISTANCE (FROM 162 TO 85 NM).

CONFIDENTIAL

/ 3. AS FORESHADOWED