TNAG-0866-FCO40-1076-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 8

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Department

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(Block Capitals). JN POWELL...........

Tel. Extn

233 8057

OUTWARD

TELEGRAM

Security Classification.

CONFIDENTIAL

Precedence

IMMEDIATE

DESKBY

FOR

COMMS. DEPT.

(Date).

USE

Despatched

POSTBY

(Time)..

.Z

PREAMBLE

*(Time of Origin)..

Z(G.M.T.)

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(Security Class.).

(Codeword)...

(Restrictive Prèfix). (Caveat!

Privacy Marking)

(Deskby)

To....IMMEDIATE

AND TO (precedence/post)

(precedence)

PRETORIA.

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Tel. No....

AND SAVING TO.......

REPEATED TO (for info)

PRIORITY HONG KONG

XY 42

.Z

.Z

Distribution:-

Files

SAfD

MAED

HK&GD

FED

SEAD

SAVING TO (for info)...

Lord Bridges Miss Brown Mr Aspin

Mr Murray

PS DOT

Copies to:-

(TEXT)

YOUR TEL NO 992 AND HONG KONG TEL NO 1774

UK/South Africa Air Services

1. We have reconsidered the South African Airways

request to extend their weekly flight from Hong Kong to

Taipei, and at considerable sacrifice to British interests

we are prepared to grant permission.

2.

Please therefore inform the South Africans of this.

You should say that in view of Pik Botha's personal.inter-

vention we have reconsidered the question. Contrary to the

advice he had been given, CPA do have objections, because

of loss of revenue. Normally in such circumstances we

look for a balancing of air services benefits. However,

as an earnest of our wish to see improved relations we

are prepared an exceptionato allow SAA's application.

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/3.

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3.

You should emphasise that we are sacrificing

a principle in making this concession, which

adversely affects British interests, particularly

given that it is in an area where South Africa

cannot, at least for the foreseeable future,

provide any quid pro quo.

Не по

objection, you

we should look für

५

Provided that ym

сило

add that

favorable.

response to any future application for air traffic rights that we might make to South Apica..

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NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

533

GR5 270

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FM PEKING 200790% DEC 79

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 95 OF 29 DECEMBER

INFO ROUTINE FCO, DOT (CAIR).

525

MY TELNO.92: AIR SERVICES.

HK k184|l

RECEIVED 11267 MAY NO. 51

3750

DECK OFFICER

INDEX

FA

RA

1. THE CHINESE ANNOUNCED ON 12 DECEMBER (NCNA ITEM NO.121284) THAT THEY WOULD BE OPERATING CHARTER SERVICES BETWEEN PEKING AND HONG KONG EVERY 8 DAYS FROM 22 DECEMBER TO 5 APRIL.

WE POINTED OUT TO MFA THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THIS PUBLICIZING OF FLIGHTS WHICH WE ASSUMED WERE NOT YET ALL APPROVED BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND THE EARLIER COMMENTS OF CAAC ON CPA'S ADVERTISING ITS CHRISTMAS FLIGHTS FROM HONG KONG TO SHANGHAI.

2. WE ASSUME AHT YOU WILL IN DUE COURSE APPROVE THESE FLIGHTS, WHETHER EN BLOC OR MONTH BY MONTH, AND WE SEE NO OBJECTION TO THIS. BUT FOR FLIGHTS AFTER 1 APRIL, THE OPERATIVE DATE FOR THE SCHEDULED SERVICES ENVISAGED IN THE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT, I TRUST CAREFUL CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN BEFORE ANY APPLICA- TIONS ARE APPROVED THAT MIGHT REDUCE OUR LEVERAGE IN ENSURING THE BALANCED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT. WE ARE LIELY TO FACE OBSTRUCTION IN CARRYING OUT THE AGREEMENT ON TIME ON THE PART OF CAAC AND SHALL NEED TO MUSTER ALL THE PRESSURE WE CAN,

3. IT MAY ALSO BE RELEVANT THAT ALTHOUGH THE CHARTERS ARE DESCRIBED AS 'TOUR INCLUSIVE' CAAC ARE TAKING BOOKINGS FROM INDIVIDUAL PASSENGERS WISHING ONLY TO TRAVEL FROM PEKING TO HONG KONG.

4. PLEASE INFORM US OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS, PERHAPS BY MEANS OF A MONTHLY REPORT ON THE LINES OF YOUR TELNO.1652

TO FCO.

CRADOCK

FILES

MAED

FED

HK & GD

LORD BRIDGES

MR MURRAY

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

CONFIDENTIAL