TNAG-2850-FCO40-4103-Air-services-agreement-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-US-1993 — Page 32

06-AUG-1993 16:42

+ 852 868 4679

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布政司署

香港下亞厘畢道

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD KONG KONG

ESBCR 81/936/89 (92) VIII

By fax and by bag

本署檔號 Our Ref:

來函檔號 Your Ref:

6 August 1993

R A Balme Esq

International

Aviation Directorate

Department of Transport

Room S6/18

2 Marsham Street

London SW1P 3EB United Kingdom

Dear Rod

to

Hong Kong/US ASA Talks

Please refer

to Tony Goldman's letter of 30 July Elizabeth Bosher. It was good to learn that we can now go firm

the week of 20 September for the next round of ASA separation talks with the Americans.

on

We

do

have

some

misgivings, however, about scheduling discussions on the proposed user charges increase at Los Angeles airport immediately prior to the opening of the ASA talks. Apart from the obvious danger of souring the atmosphere ahead of this very important round, we would not wish to expose our own Chek Lap Kok - related user charges proposals to the risk of an American counter-attack at this time. Nor are we or Cathay Pacific intending to include user charges specialists in our delegation. Our preference would therefore be for the user charges consultations to be rescheduled to a different date, SO that We can concentrate exclusively on separation in that week.

to

-

ASA

Logistical considerations would also suggest that the delegation will need to set aside some time on Monday - possibly the whole morning

morning for briefing purposes at the Watergate, where we will be staying. Most of the Hong Kong team will probably aim arrive on Sunday 19 September while I will be going to washington straight from vacation leave in the UK. And since it will have been 18 months since the last round, you will no doubt welcome a review of our current position at that time, as would we a read-out of progress to date on the relevant aspects of your liberalization talks with the US.