TNAG-0862-FCO40-1072-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 32

CONFIDENTIAL

BY BAG

HKK 184/1

RECEIVES

Dr

Mr Que 2 31/1

Quay

не вали

31%:

CR 7/951/57

SR MARTIN ESQ

HANOI

OFFIC

IND

TRY

Action Taken

は

$5 January 1979

AIR VIETNAM AND HONG KONG

You will wish to know that an approach was made today by telephone to the Civil Aviation Department by a hr welton of the Amherst Financial Group (no further details except H K telno 5 – 210131) about plans vhich Air Vietnam have to extend their operations. Welton claimed that, during a recent meeting in Bangkok (no further details), he had been approached by a "Sovernment official" from Hanoi about the possibility of raising capital for Air Vietnali. He said that the

official also made remarks about rights which Air vietnam had to fly to Hong Kong.

2.

Mr

Vic Reynaud, who took the call, refused to be drawn on any of the points raised by Mr Welton, making it clear that we had no intention of dealing with Air Vietnam through third parties. He pointed out that the proper channel for any communications wa: for Air Vietnam to write to the Director of Civil Aviation, either directly or through your Ambassador.

3.

You may hear something more of this in due course. As you can imagine, in present circumstances ve are not at all keen to encourage Air Vietnam to fly here (unless, of course, they wish to return property to people who have fled Vietnam on organised freighters and whom they now wish to invite to return),

CC

(I © Crr)

CT W ilumfrey Esq SEAD

PJ Williamson Esq H K & G D

CONFIDENTIAL