CONFIDENTAL
ON THIS TOPIC. ROGERS THEREFORE TRIED TO PERSUADE LU THAT THE FORMULA IN PARA 2 OF OUR TELNO.659 WAS PREFERABLE, WITHOUT SAYING WHETHER OR NOT THE ALTERNATIVE (WHICH, AS REPORTED IN OUR TELNO.661 THE CHINESE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY ACCEPTED) WAS ACCEPTE
TO YOU.
It.
AS INSTRUCTED IN YOUR TUR ROGERS WENT OVER THE PREVIOUS GROUND WITH LU AGAIN AND REPEATED THE INVITATION HE HAD ALREADY EXTENDED TO LU ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION TO COME TO LONDON AND SEE THE SITUATION FOR HIMSELF OR, IF HE PREFERRED, TO SEND A REPRESENT- ATIVE TEAM, HE SUGGESTED THAT IF THIS WERE DONE IN GOOD TIME, A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION MIGHT WELL BE REACHED BEFORE THE FORMAL
AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WAS DUE FOR SIGNATURE IN OCTOBER. IN THAT EVENT, IT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE NECESSARY TO PUT ANYTHING ABOUT THE HEATHROW/GATWICK PROBLEM IN WRITING. LU PROMISED TO CONSIDER THIS: BUT SAID THAT THIS, ALSO, WOULD TAKE SOME TIME.
5. MEANTIME, DURING THE PAST FEW DAYS ROGERS HAS HAD A FURTHER SEVERE ATTACK OF GASTRO ENTERITIS (FROM WHICH HE AND MOST OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS TEAM SUFFERED AT AN EARLIER STAGE IN THE NEGOTIA- TIONS) BUT THIS TIME WITH MORE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS. HE HAS BEEN STRONGLY ADVISED BY THE LOCAL CONSULTANTS EITHER TO ENTER
IOSPITAL HERE FOR TREATMENT WHICH THEY ESTIMATE WOULD LAST UP TO
TWO WEEKS OR ELSE TO RETURN TO ENGLAND IMMEDIATELY FOR FULL
TREATMENT THERE. IN VIEW OF THE UNCONSCIONABLE TIME HE HAS
ALREADY BEEN AWAY FROM HOME HE OPTED FOR THE LATTER: BUT PLANNED
HIS RETURN FOR THE EVENING OF 26 JULY IN THE HOPE OF INITIALLING
THE AGREEMENT AND SIGNING THE CMUS BEFORE THEN.
6. IN VIEW OF LU'S RESPONSE TO THE POINTS REFERRED TO IN YOUR
TUR, ROGERS TOLD HIM THAT FOR MEDICAL REASONS HE WAS NOW OBLIGED TO RETURN TO LONDON IMMEDIATELY. THE FOLLOWING POSSIBILITIES
WOULD THEN BE OPEN:
A) HE WOULD RETURN TO PEKING AS SOON AS HE WAS FIT, TO ROUND OFF
THE NEGOTIATIONS, OR
D) HE WOULD WELCOME A RETURN VISIT BY LU TO LONDON
IN TWO OR THREE WEEKS' TIME FOR THE SAME PURPOSE (POSSIBLY IN-
CLUDING AT LEAST A FURTHER STEP ALONG THE ROAD TO AGREEMENT ABOUT THE AIRPORT TO BE USED BY CAAC IN LONDON) OR
C) THE NEGOTIATIONS COULD BE ROUNDED OFF BY THE EMBASSY HERE ON
INSTRUCTIONS FROM LONDON.
HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD BE PREPARED TO RISK POSTPONING HIS DEPARTURE
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CONFIDENTAL
/ FROM PERING
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