TNAG-2314-FCO40-3358-Air-services-between-Hong-Kong-and-Australia-1991 — Page 89

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FM CANBERRA

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TELNO 504

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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG

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063142 MDLIAN 5632

YOUR TELNO 1265 TO HONG KONG: UK/HONG KONG/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES

SUMMARY

1. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SHOWS SIGNS OF FLEXIBILITY ON SEPARATION OF HONG KONG AND UK AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS.

DETAIL

2. DIRECTOR OF TRADE PROMOTION SPOKE TO MS GOODE (DEPT OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS - DTC) ON 12 JULY ABOUT THE LINE TAKEN BY EVANS IN HONG KONG AND LONDON. GOODE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DEBRIEF EVANS PROPERLY. SHE NEVERTHELESS CONFIRMED THAT THE AUSTRALIANS WERE INDEED THINKING OF TAKING INFORMAL SOUNDINGS IN HONG KONG IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER. IF THOSE SOUNDINGS INDICATED THAT THE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES WHICH THE AUSTRALIANS HAD HITHERTO ENCOUNTERED IN HONG KONG MIGHT BE OVERCOME, THEY WOULD CONSIDER PROPOSING FORMAL HONG KONG/AUSTRALIA NEGOTIATIONS. THEY HAD NOT YET PROPERLY CONSIDERED AT WHAT STAGE UK/AUSTRALIA NEGOTIATIONS MIGHT RESUME, NOR HOW THEIR VIEW OF THE 1974 CMU MIGHT EVOLVE.

3. WE SHALL PURSUE WITH DTC WHEN THEY HAVE REACHED CONCLUSIONS. ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD. GOODE IS NOW MOVING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR BROADCASTING POLICY, AND WILL BE SUCCEEDED BY DAVID BUCKINGHAM WHOSE RESPONSIBILITIES WILL COVER BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL

AVIATION.

BARDER

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