GRS 220
HKC 166/1
Confidential
10302
CONFIDENTIMAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2324
OF 171055Z JULY 86
HAFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
286
HK TELNO 2278: DAYA BAY
27 MEMBERS SPOKE WITH GREAT SINCERITY HIN THE RECORD FOUR-HOUR DEBATE REFLECTING THE CONTINUING DEEP CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY. THE SPEECHES REFLECTED AS EXPECTED THE VARYING WIEWS WHICH HAVE EMERGED OVER THE PAST WEEKS RANGING FROM A CALL THAT THE PROJECT SHOULD BE STOPPED AND REPLACED BY A THERMAL PLANT (MARTIN LEE): THAT IT SHOULD BE POSTPONED: THAT MORE INFORMATION WAS NEEDED: THAT THE FEASIBILITY REPORTS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE: THAT MANAGEMENT WOULD BE UNSATISFACTORY IN THE CHINESE HANDS: AND THAT CONFIDENCE WOULD BE AFFECTED, WHICH WOULD DESTROY HONG KONG'S HARD WON PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. MARTIN LEE SUGGESTED THAT HIT MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO USE THE POWERS AND PROMMELEGES ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE THE PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE PLANT.
2. ALLEN LEE SPOKE IN STRONG EMOTIONAL TERMS ABOUT SCARE TACTICS USED IN THE SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN AND WAS HIMSELF CRITICISED BY MARTIN
LEE FOR DOING SO.
3. THERE WAS A GENERAL FEELING THAT THE CONTRACTS SHOULD NOT BE SIGNED UNTIL THE FACT-FINDING GROUPS HAD RETURNED. MARA TAM MENTIONED THIS SPECIFICALLY. HOPEFULLY THE REFERENCE BY THE FINANCIMAL SECRETARY TO ARRANGEMENTS NOT BEING CONCLUDED UNTIL OCTOBER AND HMS REFERENCE TO HAVING REQUESTED THE CHAIRMAN OF HKMMC TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE FEASIBILITY STUDIES HAS DEFUSED THIS. MEDIA GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE DEBATE WITH SOME EMPHASIS PARTICULARLY FROM THE LEFT-WING PAPERS THAT THE COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS DENTERED HINTO AS A RESULT OF GOVERNMENT'S AGREEMENT COULD NOT BE WITHDRAWN. ON THE WHOLE, CHINESE PAPERS GAVE MORE PROMINENT COVERAGE WHILE SCMP AND STANDARD UNABLE TO FIND GREAT SENSATION IN WHAT WAS AN OBJECTIVE AND HIGH QUALITY DEBATE GAVE
*T LESS PROMINENCE.
Confidential 14.
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