GRS 500
RESTRICTED
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 915
OF 290738Z MAY 86
RESTRICTED
AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 4 JUNE 1986
INFO ROUTINE DEPARTMENT OF
INFO ROUTINE BTC HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS VHENNA
INFO SAVING SHANGHAI:
시다 166/
118 B
Two Butan
OF INDUSTRY,
HONG KONG, WSHINGTON,--MOSCOW, PARIS
ENERGY DEPART
1786
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
NUCLEAR SAFETY:
SUMMARY.
CHINA.
1. FOLLOWING CHERNOBYL, THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN SHOWING INCREASED
SENSITIVITY ABOUT NUCLEAR SAFETY. THE FRENCH AND CHINESE ARE
CURRENTLY DISCUSSING SAFETY ASPECTS FOR DAYA BAY (SEE MIFT).
MY TELNO.909 (NOT TO ALL) RECORDS HU YAOBANG'S AND LI PENG'S
COMMENTS OVER DINNER ON 27 MAY.
DETAIL.
2. THE CHINESE HAVE MADE SEVERAL PUBLIC REFERENCES TO NUCLEAR
SAFETY IN RECENT WEEKS. ON 3 MAY, A SENIOR CHINESE ENGINEER
CONCERNED WITH DAYA BAY WAS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT DAYA BAY WOULD
BE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT AND MUCH SAFER THAN CHERNOBYL: THAT
A SPECIAL GROUP HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN CHINA TO STUDY AND ANALYSE
DATA ON THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT: AND THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOT BEEN
OVER-ALARMED BY THE ACCIDENT SINCE THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH GRAPHITE-MODERATED REACTORS. ON 4 MAY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE NUCLEAR
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NSA) UNDER THE STATE COUNCIL, ESTABLISHED
JUST OVER A YEAR AGO, HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE TO SPELL OUT CHINESE
POLICIES ON NUCLEAR SAFETY. HE CLAIMED THAT PROCEDURES FOR
CONSTRUCTING NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS HAD BEEN TIGHTENED AND THAT
'' THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT IS .... WE MUST STRESS THE PRINCIPLE OF
PUTTING QUALITY AND SAFETY FIRST
3. DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE REPORTED IN THE TIMES ON 12 MAY
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COMMISSION FOR SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY
IN NATIONAL DEFENCE (COSTIND) TOLD FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS THAT
"A FEW DEATHS, BUT NO MAJOR DISASTERS, HAD OCCURRED OVER THE
YEARS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHINESE NUCLEAR MILITARY ARSENAL.
1
4. LI PENG INSPECTED THE DAYA BAY SITE ON 21 MAY AND WAS QUOTED IN
THE CHINA DAILY AS STATING THAT SAFETY FIRST AND QUALITY FIRST"
MUST BE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF
CHINA'S NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS. HE ALSO REFERRED TO ** VARIOUS
SAFETY MEASURES'' NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE NSA. HE SAID THAT
THE FRENCH EQUIPMENT FOR DAYA DAY WAS OF A RELATIVELY HIGH DEGREE
OF SOPHISTICATION. CHINA WOULD ADOPT FRENCH SAFETY STANDARDS, /WHILE
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