JUL 16 '86 16:54 TIBCOOU) HK GOVT
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Wen Wei Po quoted an NCNA spokesman as saying that the agency had been passing to Peking all the comments in HK. Two full set of photocopies of local media reports, including the HK Times, were despatched to Peking everyday, one for the party central and another for the State Council. The Oriental Daily News quoted the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Graham Osborne, as refuting Walter Patterson's remark that water pressurised reactor was the most dangerous design. Mr Osborne said some 290 water pressurised reactors were operating in the world with satisfactory performance both in terms of safety and affiɑienay.
Sunday, July 6: NCNA HK branch director Xu Jiatun said in Shenzhen that Peking was fully aware of HK people's views on the project and media reports were sent daily to the State Council.
The Sunday Morning Post, quoting sources close to Peking, said China was likely to agree to the formation of a joint group comprising Chinese and HK members to monitor safety at Daya Bay, but the public outery would not lead to a cancellation of the project. The sources said China was already too heavily committed to the project to consider scrapping it now. Ann Quon, in her column, criticised Sir Jack Cater's performance in defence of his company. She said the words uttered by Sir Jack had all the effect of a "damp squib." "By the time he finished speaking, it was apparent to all that he had nothing to say." Quon also cast doubt on Legco's plans for overseas visits in search of facts and figures. Perhaps their time might be better spent tackling a more fruitful line such as making a trip to Peking.
Editorially, the Express said that Legco's decision to visit nuclear plants in other countries was an objective way of assessing the problem and was a display of responsibility.
I Fan of the HK Economic Journal said that China should shelve the Daya Bay project to give time for the HK people to calm down.
Monday, July 7: The anti-nuclear joint conference would launch a territory-wide signature drive on July 13 and would take the signatures to Peking in September or October. The papers quoted Legco Unofficial Poon Chung-kwong as saying that information supplied by officials of the joint venture company indicated that the company had not paid due regard to the situation of HK people for failing to draw up an evacuation plan. On the other hand, he said the anti-nuclear lobbyists had failed to give an objective assessment. He suggested that the Government set up a special group to nominate local professionals to join Legco members' visit to nuclear power plants in other countries.
Ming Pao reported that the UK Atomic Energy Authority had stated in a report for the HK Goverment that the authorities should set up a liaison committee in HK so that representatives from various sections of the community could exchange views with senior officials from the Daya Bay plant and officials responsible for the monitoring of the plant.
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