TNAG-0867-FCO40-1077-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 27

GRS 275

CONFIDENTIAL

Hkk184/2

8 MAY 1979

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 050410Z MAY 79

797

ра

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 530 OF 5 MAY

in

•

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

по

५९

See 8

MIPT.

215.51 3

YOUR TELNO 249: UK/PRC AIR SERVICES.

16

1. WE NOTE THAT YOU INTEND TO QUOTE PURSUE WITH VIGOUR UNQUOTE THE QUESTION OF REGIONAL ROUTES. WE CONCUR WITH THE PEKING VIEW THAT IF REGIONAL ROUTES ARE TO BE DISCUSSED THEN CPA, BEING THE ONLY EXISTING REGIONAL AIRLINE BASED IN HONG KONG, OUGHT TO BE REPRESENTED.

2. PEKING TELNO 406 INDICATES THAT THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO OBJECT TO THE PRESENCE OF A CPA REPRESENTATIVE.

3. WE ARE NOT AWARE THAT THERE IS ANY INTENTION TO AWARD REGIONAL ROUTES TO ANY OTHER BRITISH AIRLINE NOR ARE WE AWARE THAT THERE ARE CURRENT DISCUSSIONS ON THE SUBJECT. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO BE TOLD URGENTLY OF THE NATURE OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AND OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED PLEASE.

4. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE REFERENCE TO JARDINES. JARDINES ARE ONLY THE AGENTS FOR BA. THEY HAVE NO AIRLINE ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HE TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF STARTING ONE. MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR IDEAS. WE CANNOT SEE HOW SUCH HYPOTHETICAL POSITIONS. COULD JUSTIFY REPRESENTATION AT AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS ON THE SAME

BASIS AS CPA.

5. WE AGREE WITH PEKING THAT IF THE CHINESE OBJECTED TO CPA PARTICIPATION WE SHOULD NOT PRESS FOR THEIR INCLUSION. IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, THEIR POTENTIAL RIGHTS WOULD HAVE TO BE SAFEGUARDED.

CONFIDENTIAL

6. CPA DO NOT