TNAG-0868-FCO40-1078-Air-services-between-China--Hong-Kong-and-the-UK-1979 — Page 53

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190

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FM PEKING 250845Z JUNE 79

2 6 JUN 1979

TELEGRAM NUMBER 587 OF 25 JUNE 79

IN..

PA

TO PRIORITY FCO

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

FOLLOWING FROM DELEGATION

MY TELNO 582: UK/PRC AIR SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS

1.

See 191 (193 194)

PLENARY SESSION CONTINUED THROUGHOUT 22 JUNE. AGREEMENT WAS REACHED ON SOME POINTS BUT THE MORE IMPORTANT OF THE IMPROVEMENTS WE ARE TRYING TO GET ARE

STILL OUTSTANDING. IT WAS AGREED THAT WE WOULD PRODUCE

REVISED DRAFTS OVER THE WEEKEND IN THE FORMAT INDICATED

IN PARA 3 OF TUR.

2.

POINTS OF INTEREST WHICH EMERGED FROM THIS MEETING AND FROM FURTHER TETE A TETE BETWEEN ROGERS AND LU ON

23 JUNE ARE SUMMARISED IN PARAS 3 TO 7 BELOW.

3.

23

ALTHOUGH INFORMATION FROM LOCAL STAFF OF OTHER FOREIGN AIRLINES INDICATES THAT WIDE BODIED OPERATIONS TO PEKING ARE LIKELY TO BE FEASIBLE BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE CHINESE ARE STILL UNWILLING TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO A PRECISE DATE FOR START OF SERVICES.

a

·

LU RESISTED ALL ROGERS' ATTEMPTS TO WRITE IN AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE RATIO OF CAPACITY BETWEEN CAAC AND A HONG KONG BASED BRITISH AIRLINE, ON THE ROUTE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND PEKING, WHEN BRITISH AIRWAYS STOP OPERATING THEIR TRUNK ROUTE SERVICES VIA HONG KONG. HE SIAD THIS WAS TOO FAR OFF IN THE FUTURE. (HE STILL HAS IN MIND A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS OR SO FROM START OF SERVICES AS PROVIOUSLY DISCUSSED.) HE WAS IN NO POSITION TO COMMIT HIMSELF AT THIS STAGE EITHER TO THE SAME RATIO AS WE HAD AGREED FOR SHANGHAI OR EVEN TO A RATIO WHICH WOULD BE LESS ATTRACTIVE TQ US.

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