CONFIDENTIAL
43140 - 1
THOUGHT THAT IT WAS IMPERATIVE FOR THE UK TO JOIN THE PRC IN
MOUNTING JOINT EFFORTS TO ALLAY CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY, POINTING
OUT THAT 70 PER CENT OF THE POWER PRODUCED AT DAYA BAY WOULD BE
SUPPLIED TO HONG KONG. HE SAID TO MR WALKER THAT, LIKE THE UK,
CHINA HAD CONCLUDED THAT ITS REACTOR SYSTEMS WOULD BE
SIGINFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT AT CHERNOBYL.
RECOGNISED THE STRENGTH OF PUBLIC CONCERN, AND SAID THAT IT WOULD
BE HELPFUL FOR HMG TO USE ITS INFLUENCE TO SMOOTH OUT SOME OF
THESE DIFFICULTIES' (IN HONG KONG).
5.
HOWEVER, LI
SINCE HU'S VISIT HAS ONLY JUST ENDED WE HAVE NOT YET
RECEIVED ALL THE RECORDS OF THE MANY ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN MINISTERS AND THE ENTOURAGE. WE SHALL, OF COURSE, LET YOU HAVE DETAILS OF
FURTHER REFERENCES TO SAFETY AT DAYA BAY AS WE LEARN OF THEM.
6.
YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT AS WITH ALL ACCOUNTS OF
MINISTERIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH FOREIGN LEADERS THE FOREGOING
SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH PARTICULAR DISCRETION. YOU MAY, NONETHELESS, TELL EXCO THAT THE CHINESE PARTY WAS LEFT IN NO DOUBT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO THEIR SEEKING TO ALLAY
THE UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERN IN HONG KONG ABOUT DAYA BAY IN THE
LIGHT OF CHERNOBYL. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT NO USE APPEARS TO
HAVE BEEN MADE OF OUR BRIEFING ON THE NEED FOR AN EFFECTIVE
NUCLEAR SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (PEKING TELNO 990 AND YOUR TELNO · 1790). WE ARE CONSIDERING HOW BEST TO GET THIS POINT ACROSS TO THE CHINESE AND HOW TO REACT TO THEIR SUGGESTION THAT WE MOUNT
JOINT EFFORTS TO ALLAY PUBLIC CONCERN IN HONG KONG.
7.
WE SHALL TELEGRAPH SEPARATELY ABOUT HARWELL (YOUR TELNO 1798) AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING (YOUR TELNO 1806) AS SOON AS THE DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED HAVE COMPLETED THEIR CONSULTATIONS.
HOWE
LIMITED.
HKD
FED
NED
TRED
WED
PUSD
2
SIR. W. HARDING
CONFIDENTIAL
MR GOODALL
DR WILSON
MR DAUNT.
ADDITIONAL
DISTRIBUTION
GUANGDONG NUCLEAR.