GRS 300
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
1
TO DESKBY 16090OZ FCO
TELNO 1261
OF 16075OZ JULY 86
CONFIDENTIAL
НСК 166/1
RECEIVED IN REGI
18 JUL 1986
DIY & OFFICFA
PA
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, PARIS INFO ROUTINE UKMAS VIENNA
82)
AX
'293
1252:
MY TELNO 1252: NUCLEAR SAFETY: CHINA
1. LOCAL CORRESPONDENT OF WEN HUI, BAO ASKED US ON 16 JULY WHETHER I
HAD CALLED ON LI PENG AND, IF SO, WHETHER WE COULD CONFIRM THAT DAYA
BAY WAS DISCUSSED. PRESS OFFICER REPLIED THAT HE HAD JUST RETURNED TO PEKING, KNEW NOTHING OF THE MATTER AND SUGGESTED CORRESPONDENT
PHONE BACK LATER. WE CHECKED WITH GOURIEVIDIS, WHO CONFIRMED THAT
WEN HUI BAO HAD ASKED HIM WHETHER MALO HAD SEEN LI PENG. GOURIEVIDIS
HAD CONFIRMED THAT A MEETING HAD TAKEN PLACE, BUT DECLINED TO
COMMENT ON THE CONTENT OF THE DISCUSSION OTHER THAN TO SAY IN REPLY
TO A QUESTION THAT THE MEETING HAD BEEN A FRIENDLY ONE.
2. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO THE INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF MFA (DEPUTY
DIRECTOR LI ZHAOXING, WHO WAS PRESENT DURING MY MEETING WITH LI
PENG). LI HAS TOLD US THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE CHINESE HAD RECEIVED ANY ENQUIRIES FROM THE PRESS ON THIS SUBJECT, AND HE
CONFIRMED THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN RAISED AT THE WEEKLY MFA PRESS
CONFERENCE EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON. HE UNDERTOOK TO INFORM US IF
THE CHINESE RECEIVED ANY PRESS QUESTIONS, BUT WOULD NOT COMMIT
HIMSELF ON THE LINE WHICH THEY WOULD TAKE.
3. IF ASKED AGAIN, WE SHALL TAKE THE SAME LINE AS THAT TAKEN BY
GOURIEVIDIS.
4. SUBJECT TO CLEARANCE WITH THE CHINESE AND FRENCH, HOWEVER, THERE COULD BE ADVANTAGE IN OUR SAYING SOMETHING MORE FAIRLY SOON ABOUT
OUR CONTACTS WITH THE CHINESE. IT IS, AFTER ALL, OUR PURPOSE TO HELP TO ALLAY CONCERN IN HONG KONG. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT NOT TO RAISE EXPECTATIONS TOO HIGH.
5. HONG KONG WILL NO DOUBT HAVE VIEWS.
EVANS
GUANGDONG
[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET)
LIMITED
HKD
FED
NED
TRED
PUSD(MR CROWLEY) WED
P8
PS/MR RENTON PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
MR DAUNT
MR WILSON
MR SLATER
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUANGDONG NUCLEAR
CONFIDENTIAL