TNAG-0863-FCO40-1073-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 189

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7. ROGERS REPLIED TO THIS LATTER POINT THAT EVEN IF THE MALAYSIANS

WERE WILLING TO GO AHEAD ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE ICAP PLAN

WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED VIRTUALLY AS IT STOOD, WE WERE NOT PREPARED TO LAY OURSELVES OPEN TO THE INEVITABLE CHARGE FROM SINGAPORE THAT

WE WERE FOLLOWING IN THE AUSTRALIANS FOOTSTEPS BY SEWING UP DEALS

WITH THEIR ASEAN PARTNERS IN ORDER TO UNDERMINE ASEAN SOLIDARITY. SO FAR FROM BEING DISAPPOINTED WITH THE PROGRESS THIS WEEK, HE HIMSELF FELT THAT HIS ACCEPTANCE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF A DAILY AIRBUS SERVICE ON THE ROUTE BETWEEN KUALA LUMPUR AND HONG KONG (SUBJECT TO SOME MODEST ADJUSTMENT TO THE TIMING PROPOSED BY THE MALAYSIANS) REPRESENTED A MAJOR STEP FORWARD AND ONE WHICH HAMZAH COULD CLAIM AS EVIDENCE OF HIS ABILITY TO ACHIEVE RESULTS. WE HAD ALSO MADE A GREAT DEAL OF PROGRESS ON OTHER FRONTS. INDEED WE HAD MADE MORE PROGRESS IN THE COURSE OF THE PAST THREE DAYS THAN HE COULD RECOLLECT EVER HAVING MADE IN ANY OTHER AIR SERVICES NEGOTI AT- IONS AT A CORRESPONDING STAGE.

7. HAMZAH HAD A SIMILAR CONVERSATION WITH GEE AT A DINNER PARTY LAST

NIGHT AT WHICH HE WENT OVER MUCH THE SAME GROUND.

3. ROGERS HAD OFFERED TO PAY A COURTESY CALL ON DR GOH: BUT THE

LATTER TOLD GEE THAT THIS MIGHT BE MISCONSTRUED AT THE PRESENT JUNCTURE SINCE HE WAS BEING CRITICISED FOR BEING TOO QUOTE PRO-

BRITISH UNQUOTE.

HAWLEY

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FILES: MAED

SEAD

= K & G D(6)

SED

MISS BRON N. MURRAY

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