CONFIDENTIAL
1126 MDHIAN 82771
THE ENTIRE ROUND. WHEN OUR TEAM SAID AT THE END OF THE 2ND MORNING THAT THEY WISHED TO SEEK INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT FURTHER THEY WOULD SAY, THE CHINESE WERE FORCED TO ACCEPT A THIRD DAY OF TALKS.
- IF THEY HAD SERIOUSLY WANTED TO MAKE PROGRESS, THE CHINESE COULD EASILY HAVE LISTED SPECIFIC DEMANDS ON THE AIRPORT AND SAID THAT THESE SHOULD BE MET BEFORE ANY FURTHER WORK SHOULD PROCEED. BUT THEY MADE NO SUCH SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS.
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3. IT IS DIFFICULT WITH CONFIDENCE TO EXPLAIN WHY IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED LATER, LU PING EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE EXISTENCE OF SERIOUS DIFFERENCES SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED TO THE MEDIA AND THAT BOTH SIDES SHOULD PRESENT A CO-OPERATIVE ATMOSPHERE TO THE PUBLIC. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MERELY SOOTHING WORDS: OR AN ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THAT OUR SIDE MADE ONLY MILD REMARKS AT THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE, LEAVING THE CHINESE A FREE FIELD: OR HE COULD HAVE DECIDED PERSONALLY TO AGREE TO THE AMBASSADOR'S PROPOSAL TO DEAL WITH DIFFERENCES IN PRIVATE AND SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN DISAVOWED BY THOSE ABOVE HIM. CERTAINLY A VERY DELIBERATE DECISION WAS TAKEN TO MAKE DIFFERENCES PUBLIC: EVEN IF LUO COULD CHARITABLY BE THOUGHT TO HAVE GOT HIS INSTRUCTIONS WRONG AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE (WHICH SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY), CHEN ZHUO'ER'S PRESS CONFERENCE THE NEXT DAY WAS NO MUDDLE.
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4 IN MID DECEMBER, WHEN THE CHINESE PROPOSED THE 2ND ROUND, THEY SAID THAT THEY HOPED IT WOULD MAKE PROGRESS. IF THIS WAS A GENUINE WISH, AND THE COMPOSITION OF THEIR TEAM GIVES IT SOME CREDENCE, THEN IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT, AT SOME POINT BETWEEN THEN AND THE 2ND ROUND, A HIGH LEVEL DECISION WAS TAKEN TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON US TO ACCEPT CHINESE CONTROL, AND TO DO THIS IN A PUBLIC AND OBVIOUS MANNER.
5. FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE IMMEDIATE WAY AHEAD SEE MIFT.
WILSON
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CONFIDENTIAL
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