TNAG-2850-FCO40-4103-Air-services-agreement-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-US-1993 — Page 12

07-SEP-1993 17:33

(布政 司署

香港下亞風海道

T F

* Our Ref :

ESB CR 81/936/89

*MRK YOUR REF:

Mr Rod Balme

International Aviation Directorate

Department of Transport

Dear Rool,

HK/US ASA Talks

ACOO

D AD

+ 852 868 4679

P.01

GOVERNMENT Secretariat

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

7 September 1993

cc: Mr Hall (AMO)

Mr Bunten (HKO).

CAW.

8/9/93.

Thank you for your helpful letter of 3 September.

I have consulted colleagues here and Hong Kong airlines on the question of the RTW route issue. I assume that you may also have spoken to Martin Glass who is currently on vacation in the UK.

In summary, we are all taken aback by the USDOT's interpretation Ox rather misinterpretation of our position over the RTW route issue. We have in many previous rounds of negotiations rejected the US request for the retention of a RTW route in a separated ASA. As you will have noticed from our Summary Records of the March 1992 meeting in London, John

Wakeling, in that single round alone, rejected the US request to this effect on no less than three occasions. The inclusion of a RTW route, amongst other things, in the final US counter-proposal was therefore disappointing (paragraphs 58 and 59 (c) of the Summary Records refer), and finally led to the break-down of the talks. We have never given the slightest hint to the US side that the RTW route is something that is negotiable, nor has it formed any part of the proposals previously put forward by the Hong Kong side.

It is, to say the least, extremely irritating that yet again the US side appear to have identified another issue which they now appear to be claiming is a make-or-break issue and, in an attempt to bring pressure to bear on Hong Kong, is threatening cancellation of the forthcoming talks. You will recall that by making similar