TNAG-1177-FCO40-1479-Air-services-between-Hong-Kong-and-South-East-Asia-1982 — Page 104

3. MITCHELL WAS ALL THE MORE CONCERNED BECAUSE APPARENTLY STEVENS OF DOT HAS RECENTLY TOLD PEPPER (DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF RR) THAT TI

SPECIAL PROMISE GIVEN TO MAS SHOULD BE VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT

OF THE CMU GOVERNING CAPACITIES, IE. TRAFFIC FIGURES WOULD BE THE SOLE DETERMINANT FOR ANY ADDITIONAL SEATS GRANTED TO MAS. MITCHELL MADE THE POINT, WHICH I WISH STROMGLY TO REINFORCE, THAT THIS IS NOT HOW THE MALAYSIANS VIEW THE POSITION. THEY CONSIDNR THAT THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN TO THEM AT THE TIME OF THE SALE OF THE BA7475

ENTITLES THEM TO SOME ADDITIONAL CONCESSION. THEY WOULD NOT REGARD

THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASING THEIR TRAFFIC SIMPLY BY VIRTUE OF

HAVING GREATER CAPACITY ON THE EUROPEAN ROUTE AS SATISFACTION OF

OUR PLEDGE.

4. 1 THEREFORE URGE THAT WE MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL CONCESSION WHICH WE

CAN PRESENT AS MEETING OUR ADDITIONAL OBLICATION. I FEAR THAT

UNLESS WE DO SO WE SHALL FACE STRONG CRITICISM AFTER THE TALKS

WITH A VERY REAL RISK OF FURTHER DAMAGE BOTH TO OUR COMMERCIAL

PROSPECTS AND TO OUR WIDER RELATIONS.

5. I SHOULD ASLO BE GRATEFUL FOR FULL AND UP TO DATE BRIEFING ON

THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS SO THAT WE CAN COUNTER THE SORT

OF ́ILL-INFORMED ALLEGATIONS IN THE PRESS AND ELSEWHERE WHICH HAVE

BEEN A FEATURE OF PREVIOUS AIR SERVICE NEGOTI ALTIONS.

BENTLEY

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