The Foreign Secretary continued that the project would be more
from
acceptable' on the Hong Kong point of view if there were a substantial
ptat
British element in it. HM Ambassador referred to a previous
conversation he had had with Mr Zhao about the project and said that
since we recognised a potential French interest, we were now thinking
in terms of an Anglo/French collaborative project. Hong Kong also
had a vital interest, as the project would only be viable through
the sale of electricity to the territory and that it would be much
easier for Hong Kong to cooperate if there were a substantial British
content. The Prime Minister said that he appreciated this point and
invited the British to keep in touch, particularly when the studies
had been completed and the choice of equipment suppliers was being
reviewed.
the
Mr McLaren also mentioned to Mr Stones conflicting information
that we had received via the Belgium Parliamentary Delegation.
Mr Yang Shangkun, a former mayor of Canton and presently a vice
Chairman of the National Peoples Congress, told the delegation that
the decision had been taken to go ahead with the project.
He reiterated that this was the same station that had been mentioneä
by President Giscard. The French would supply the muclear island, the
UK the associated equipment and the Americans "equipment associated
with the associated equipment".
To further confuse the issue,
he added that there would be contracts available for other countries
as well and throughout gave the impression that all these points
had been firmly decided.
Mr Stones said that although he made no claim to be an expert on
China, he had visited there 20 or so times during the last 18 months
and felt that he had established good relations with many Chinese.
His information on the Foreign Secretary's visit was very similar;
he understood that the Chinese Prime Minister had welcomed the idea