I consider it as a good stop-gap waiting for their shiny A350

The future of 77A for CX should be simply HK - Taiwan / HK - China run, which you want medium capacity + high frequency

8 777-200ER are not too much in terms of short term expansion / frequency increase, and they should have better econmics over A340-400. When we complain about KA wet leasing CI for TPE run it make perfect sense (Goash those PVG seats are F-ing expensive and fully packed nowadays ... if they send in a bigger plane .......)

I would think CX should use this chance to fit new mid-haul product for longish intra-asia mission (e.g. India, Middle East), which allows CX to have compareable product offering to competion but yet doesn't need their long hual team (77W / 744). That should free up some A34B for Europe Expansion and A333 for Australia Run