GRS 400
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1973
OF 2510252 JUNE 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
173
SECRET
FIKK
166/
RECEIVED IN BE
25 JUN 1988
MY TELNO 1936 NUCLEAR SAFETY: CHINA
PA
atten
1. ## UNDERSTAND THAT DURING HU YAOBANG'S VISIT TO THE UK',' MINISTERS, WHILE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF REASSURING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WELCOMED THE CHINESE DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION. IN CAN UNDERSTAND THE COMMERCIAL AND POLITICAL REASONS FOR THIS AND ALSO HMG'S WISH NOT TO THROW DOUBT ON THE VIABILITY AND SAFETY OF CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAMMES. # HOPE THAT THE PROPOSALS HAVE MADE WILL BE ACCEPTED AS EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO REASSURE HONG KONG. BUT I MUST NOW FORMALLY RECORD MY PERSONAL ASSESSMENT THAT REASSURANCE ON SAFETY STANDARDS, CONTINGENCY PLANS ETC. WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO ALLAY PUBLIC FEARS: THAT IN CONSEQUENCE THERE WILL IN THE SHORT TERM BE A PRICE TO PAY FOR THE CONTINUATHON OF THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF CONFIDENCE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT THIS PRICE WILL BE
SUBSTANTIALLY RAMSED DURING THE 1990S WHEN THE STATION IIS COMMISSIONED: AND THAT BOTH BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS MUST NOW TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT.
2. ! ACCEPT THAT THE FUTURE OF THE STATION IS A MATTER FOR THE GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED, AND IN PARTICULAR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. # ALSO ACCEPT THAT EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE STATION IS CONSTRUCTED AND OPERATED TO THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARDS. ITS NOT POSSIBLE, HOWEVER, TO GIVE A GUARANTEE THAT NO ACCIDENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT DAYA BAY, AND FROM NOW ON EVERY #NCIDENT AT ANY NUCLEAR PLANT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WILL INCREASE THE OPPOSITION IN HONG KONG TO THE PROJECT. IF A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR AT A PWR STATION, PARTICULARLY A FRENCH ONE, THE OPPOSITION COULD BECOME UNCONTAINABLE.
3.
THEREFORE BELIEVE THAT THE SITUATION HAS NOW DEVELOPED TO THE POINT WHERE, IN FOLLOWING UP L PENG'S PROPOSALS FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS (YOUR TELNO 1124 REFERS), HMG SHOULD CONSIDER WHETHER TO CONVEY THIS ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVELY TO THE CHINESE. THEY WILL CERTAINLY BE GETTING THE SAME STRONG MESSAGE INFORMALLY FROM OTHER SOURCES. MINISTERS WILL NO DOUBT ALSO WISH TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY SHOULD GO FURTHER AND POINT OUT THE POLITICAL BENEFITS THAT COULD BE OBTAINED IN HONG KONG IF THE CHINESE WERE TO DECIDE NOW TO MOVE THE PROJECT FROM DAYA BAY OR TO CONVERT 4T TO A THERMAL STATION (MY TELNO 1726 REFERS).
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14.