TNAG-0862-FCO40-1072-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 46

GR 270

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM SINGAPORE 270515Z JAN 79

HKKITCH

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 56 OF 27 JANUARY

AND TO PRIORITY CANBERRA, JAKARTA, MANILA, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK, HONG KONG (GOV AND BCARFE) WELLINGTON.

CANBERRA TELEGRAMS NOS 67 AND 68: UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES.

יר

No

Joala See (947)

I HAVE DISCUSSED WITH CORTAZZI. WE TAKE THE POINTS MADE IN PARAGRAPH 3, BUT SEE DANGERS IN TRYING TO DISCHARGE OUR ROLE AS A HONEST BROKER IN THE SETTING OF A ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE. WE MIGHT END UP BY GETTING KICKED BY BOTH SIDES. SO FAR ALTHOUGH THE SINGAPOREANS HAVE SHOWN THEIR UNHAPPINESS WITH THE LINE WE HAVE TAKEN, THEY STILL REGARD US AS A FRIEND AND WOULD PROBABLY BE RELUCTANT TO RETALIATE AGAINST OUR INTERESTS. THEY REMAIN VERY ANGRY WITH THE AUSTRALIANS (RAJARATNAM SPOKE TO THIS THEME AT THE PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR'S DINNER LAST NIGHT IN CORTAZZI'S AND MY PRESENCE BUT SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE BRITISH INVOLVEMENT) AND ARE PUSHING THEIR ASEAN PARTNERS HARD. ASEAN FEELS UNDER THREAT FROM VIETNAM AND THE MEMBER COUNTRIES ARE LIKELY TO ATTACH PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE AT THIS STAGE TO ASEAN SOLIDARITY. IT SEEMS TO US BETTER THAT WE SHOULD ADOPT SO FAR AS POSSIBLE A LOW PROFILE AND WORK FOR A COMPROMISE UNOBTRUSIVELY RATHER THAN RISK ENGENDERING ASEAN SUSPICIONS THAT WE AND THE AUSTRALIANS ARE GANGED UP, SOMETHING WE MIGHT MORE EASILY DRAW UPON OURSELVES IN A ROUND- TABLE FORUM.

2. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT, TOO, THAT THE WORKING OF SOME PARTS OF

THE PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN ANNOUNCEMENT COULD BE SOFTENED WITHOUT LOSING EFFECTIVENESS SO AS NOT TO RAISE HACKLES HERE UNNECESSARILY.

HENNINGS

FILES

MAED

SPD

HRAGD

[COPIES SENT TO CADIDOT]

COPIES

TO

MR RUMBELOW.DOT DI TRANSPORT

SEAD

NEWS D

OID

MR BUTLER MISS BROWN

MR MURRAY

CONFIDENTIAL

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