The entangled disputes among the three major parties--Beijing, the present Hong Kong government and Taipei--over sovereignty and privileges stretched out deliberations over the new pact and made breakthroughs difficult. They could only extend the old pact a few months at a time, shoring it up on an emergency basis. By the time the new agreement was signed, the old agreement had been extended seven times, setting a record in world aviation history.
中（共）、英（港府）、台灣三方主權糾葛、利益夾纏，使得新約談判遲遲難有突破，只好一個月、三個月不等的一再延長舊約來湊數應急；截至新約簽訂時，舊約已延了七次，創下了世界航空的歷史紀錄。