TNAG-0781-FCO40-985-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1978 — Page 31

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LETTER

GT Rogers Esq

Civil Aviation International Relations

Department of Trade

1 Victoria Street

LONDON SW1H OET

Division

Mr Murray

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS:

CHINA

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.

I agree generally with the line you propose to take,

subject to three comparatively minor comments:

(i) 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;

(ii) 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 avdding Taiwanese retaliation does perhaps

justify a rather more optimistic conclusion.

I enclose a revised version of your draft which takes

account of these points. Please make whatever use

of it you think fit.