CONSIDERED IF IT WAS ADVANTAGEOUS.
BUT POSTPONEMENT COULD NOT BE
''TOO LONG''. IN ANY EVENT DELAY COULD NOT GO BEYOND THE FIRST
WEEK OF OCTOBER. OTHERWISE THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO BE RENEGO- TIATED. AS HAD BEEN EXPLAINED, THE CHINESE POSITION TO GO AHEAD WAS FIRM. ALTHOUGH NOTHING HAD BEEN SAID PUBLICLY, PEOPLE IN HONG KONG KNEW THAT WELL. THE AMBASSADOR REPLIED THAT THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT'S POSITION HAD BEEN EXPLAINED TO THE CHINESE DURING HU YAQBANG'S VISIT TO LONDON IN JUNE.
1
6. ZHOU NAN SAID THAT VICE PREMIER LI PENG HAD RAISED THE QUESTION
OF THE 'ANTI NUCLEAR MOVEMENT' IN HONG KONG WITH MRS THATCHER, MR WALKER AND MR CHANNON. HE HAD EXPRESSED THE CHINESE HOPE THAT
WE WOULD COOPERATE IN CALMING THE TIDE OF OPINION IN HONG KONG. SINCE CHERNOBYL THERE HAD NATURALLY BEEN CONCERN. BUT THERE WAS A
SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO WERE EXPLOITING THIS FOR
POLITICAL REASONS. WE HAD A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY TO DAMP THIS
MOVEMENT DOWN. LI PENG HAD SAID THAT CHINA WOULD TAKE STEPS TO
CALM FEARS IN HONG KONG. PEOPLE IN HONG KONG KNEW THAT THE CHINESE
POSITION TO GO AHEAD WAS FIRM. THERE WAS NO TRUTH IN THE RUMOURS
THAT THE CHINESE WERE RECONSIDERING THEIR POSITION, WHICH WAS
REASONABLE. THEY WERE PREPARING TO SEND EXPERTS TO HONG KONG TO
EXPLAIN THE RELIABILITY OF THE SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PROJECT.
HONG KONG WAS TO SEND A TEAM OF SENIOR PEOPLE TO PEKING, AND THE CHINESE WOULD TALK TO THEM''. BESIDES THESE TWO VISITS, THE
CHINESE NUCLEAR ASSOCIATION WAS PLANNING TO HOLD AN EXHIBITION IN HONG KONG TO DEMONSTRATE CHINA'S CAPACITY IN THIS FIELD. AT THE
RIGHT TIME THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD ANNOUNCE THEIR POSITION TO
GO AHEAD PUBLICLY.
7. ZHOU NAN THEN ASKED IF THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS
WOULD ALSO TAKE STEPS. THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THE MISSIONS TO EUROPE AND THE US WERE ALREADY KNOWN. MEANWHILE LEADERS OF THE
ANTI NUCLEAR MOVEMENT WERE MAKING PUBLIC STATEMENTS. THERE WERE
POLITICAL FACTORS HERE. THERE WAS TALK OF MASS MEETINGS. IN THESE
CIRCUMSTANCES CLOSE COOPERATION, AND A MAJOR EFFORT, WERE NEEDED TO
DAMP THESE ACTIVITIES DOWN. IF THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP IT
WOULD NOT BE CONDUCIVE TO HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.
MOREOVER BOTH SIDES WANTED THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE
BEST POSSIBLE ATMOSPHERE. HE HOPED WE WOULD CONSIDER HOW TO DEAL
WITH THIS PROBLEM. CHINA WOULD TAKE ALL STEPS WITHIN ITS POWER.
BUT THE MOVEMENT WAS IN HONG KONG, ADMINISTRATION OF WHICH WAS A BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY UNTIL 1997. WE SHOULD CONSIDER SERIOUSLY
THE POSSIBLE RESULTS OF THESE ACTIVITIES WHICH COULD EVEN AFFECT OUR COOPERATION OVER HONG KONG DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. WE HELD
A ''MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND IT WOULD BE TO MUTUAL ADVANTAGE '' TO COOPERATE. HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE PROBLEM HE HAD DESCRIBED
COULD BE SOLVED. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD MANY WAYS OF CURBING
THIS MOVEMENT. WE SHOULD USE ALL OUR 'STRENGTH AND INFLUENCE ''
IN HONG KONG.
CONFIDENTIAL
18.