GRS 1200
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
OF 220209Z JULY 86
TELNO 2385
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED
330
Q
HKCK 166/1
22 JUL 1986 OPY
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LOFFICEINLONDON, PEKIPNG, PARKS
NUCLEAR SAFETY : CHINA.
386
•ké
FURTHER TO OUR TELNO. 2278, THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
STAYED IN THE LIMELIGHT DURING THE WEEK ENDING 21 JULY. THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS ARE DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPHS 2 TO 8 BELOW.
2. THE 'JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT' CLAHMED
THAT THEY HAD COLLECTED OVER A MILLION SIGNATURES. THEY ANNOUNCED
THAT THEY WOULD TAKE THE SIGNATURES TO PEKING AND WOULD APPROACH
THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY SHORTLY TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF THE TRIP. SEPARATELY, THE JOINT CONFERENCE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO REFLECT THE PUBLIC CONCERN OVER THE DAYA
BAY PROJECT. IT WAS NOT CLEAR HOW THE CHINESE WOULD REACT TO THE SIGNATURE COMPAIGN, BUT SOME NEWSPAPERS REPORTED THAT AN OFFICIAL AT
THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY WAS THE VHEW THAT THE CAMPAIGN HAD BEEN
''A BUNCH OF AMATEUR POLIPTICIANS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SCHOOL
CHILDREN AND THE GULLIBLE MAN-IN-THE-STREET''
3. A NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONS JOWNED THE JOINT CONFERENCE MIN MAKHING
PUBLIC STATEMENTS AGAINST THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR
POWER PLANT. THESE GROUPS INCLUDED THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION WHO WROTE AN
OPEN LETTER TO THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE ASKING CHENA
TO SHELVE THE PROJECT: THE STAFF OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF
HONG KONG WHO LODGED A PETHITHON TO UMELCO AGAINST THE CONSTRUCTHON
OF THE PLANT: THE MEETING POINT WHO ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT
DENOUNCHING HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT AND A GROUP OF
17 CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS (COMPRASING MEMBERS OF LEGCO, REGCO AND
DISTRICT BOARDS) WHO PLACED AN ADVERTISEMENT WITH A QUESTIONNAIRE IN SHX NEWSPAPERS.
4. THE MEDIA GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO MR. XU HATUN'S STATEMENT
THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD TREAT THE DAYA BAY SSUE RATIONALLY. INT WAS
ALSO WIDELY REPORTED THAT MANY HEUNG YEE KUK MEMBERS ECHOED THIS
WIEW DURING A RECENT MEETING ON 14 JULY. NONE OF THE KUK MEMBERS
PRESENT AT THE MEETING HAD SIGNED UP IN THE ANTI-NUCLEAR SIGNATURE
CAMPAIGN AND THE KUK WOULD COLLECT MORE INFORMATION BERFORE TAKING
HTS STAND. INDEED, THE CALL FOR A RATIONAL APPROACH WAS REPEATED BY
MANY UNOFFICIAL LEGCO MEMBERS WHO SPOKE ON THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE
AND A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY FIGURES WHO COMMENTED ON THE DAYA BAY
ISSUES.
CONFIDENTIAL
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