TNAG-0868-FCO40-1078-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 158

GR 475

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 3008002

DESKBY 320500Z

FCO

PEKING

HKK 184/2

141

GISTRY NO. SI

3 1 MAY 1979

DESK OFFICER

INCE

PA

по

Ju1.5

RE

FM HONG KONG 300341Z MAY 79

TO IMMEDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELNO.679 OF 30 MAY,

INFO IMMEDIATE: PEKING,

ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.

137

PEKING TEL NO.499 AND 500 TO FCO :

1.

U.K/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS,

OUR VIEW REMAINS BASICALLY AS IN OUR TELNO.670 AND 672.

2. ON THE REGIONAL ROUTES, WE AGREE THAT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO OBTAIN EQUALITY IN THE NUMBER OF POINTS TO BE SERVED THAN IT IS TO OBTAIN EQUALITY IN CAPACITY OR FREQUENCY IN THE SHORT TERM.

3.

ON THE HONG KONG/PEKING REGIONAL ROUTE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A HONG KONG BASED BRITISH CARRIER OPERATING IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBILITY THAT BRITISH ENTITLEMENT ON THE ROUTE WOULD BE PRE-EMPTED BY THE TRUNK CARRIER FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD, THEN THERE SHOULD BE AN ATTEMPT TO SECURE DOUBLE DESIGNATION AS WE SUGGESTED.

4.

UNLESS THERE IS A TIME LIMIT TO BOTH THE IMBALANCE IN CAPACITY ON THE REGIONAL ROUTES AND TO THE DENIAL OF THE HONG KONG/PEKING ROUTE TO A HONG KONG BASED BRITISH CARRIER, THE REACTION IN HONG KONG IS LIKELY TO BE THAT THE LEGITIMATE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG IN THE AVIATION FIELD AND THE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS OF THE HONG KONG

TRAVELLING PUBLIC ARE BEING HELD BACK IN THE INTERESTS OF THE U.K AND OF B.A. IN PARTICULAR, IF B.A OBTAINS ON THE HONG KONG/PEKING ROUTE NO MORE THAN WAS INCLUDED IN THE 1973 AGREEMENT, AWKWARD QUESTIONS WOULD BE RAISED IN HONG KONG AS TO WHY SUCH A HEAVY PRICE

CONFIDENTIAL

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