TNAG-0866-FCO40-1076-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 13

GPS 130

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL-

KK 184/1

RA:

27

(531)

FM HONG KONG 190943Z DEC 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1779 OF 19 DECEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE D O T (CAIR) PEKING

DOT TELEGRAM TO PEKING NO ALLOT 61: NON-SCHEDULED FLIGHTS HONG KONG/CANTON.

12:

ALTHOUGH THE APPLICATION IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH DOT'S 'OVERSEAS NON-SCHEDULED FLIGHT CLEARANCES’’ IT WOULD BE THE FIRST FLIGHT

OF ITS KIND.

}

2. OUR INITIAL VIEW IS THAT THE CHINESE MIGHT WELL BE UNHAPPY ABOUT GRANTING PERMISSION FOR SUCH FLIGHTS AND THAT, IF THIS IS THE

CASE, WE SHOULD NOT FORWARD SUCH APPLICATION UNTIL REGULAR SCHEDULED AND NON SCHEDULED SERVICES ARE WELL ESTABLISHED, 3. WE NEED TO CONSIDER THIS FURTHER BEFORE REACHING A POLICY DECISION ON WHAT WE CAN AND SHOULD DO. WE SUGGEST THAT MEANWHILE PEKING SHOULD NOT (REPEAT NOT) FORWARD THE APPLICATION TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. WE WOULD ALSO BE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR VIEWS ON THE GENERAL QUESTION POSTED IN PARA 2 ABOVE.

CATER

FILES

MAED

HK + GD. FED

LORD BRIDGES MIL CORTAZZ MISS BROWN!

MR MURRAY

COPIES TO:

CAIR / DOT 2/DOT

534

CONFIDENTIAL