CONFIDENTIAL
374
bb/ Foreign and Commonwealth Office
нак
106/
1
7 AUG 1986
ROOM WH.323
STAY
London SW1A 2AH
31 July 1986
Taken
CB Benjamin Esq
Department of Trade and Industry
1/Victoria Street
London SW1H OET
dees Chri,
GUANGDONG NUCLEAR PROJECT:
SAFETY
PA
Date 1/8
Cra 31/7
371A
Thank you for your letter of 30 July about the issues to be discussed at your meeting on 1 August. I look forward to attending the meeting.
We shall certainly be ready to offer a view on the line to be taken on this difficult issue with the Chinese and the Hong Kong Government. We also look forward to discussing what further practical measures might be undertaken which would help to reassure Hong Kong about the safety of the project.
On reflection, we feel that much of what we have to say to the Chinese can be determined only in the light of our discussion at the meeting, and in particular in the light of the practical suggestions which technical departments might be able to make in such areas as visits, training and monitor- ing of safety systems. We shall not therefore be in a position to prepare the complete draft of a speaking note in advance of the meeting, although of course we shall be ready to finalise and circulate one very rapidly thereafter in the light of discussion.
I shall be happy to discuss at the meeting the right sort of institutional framework for pulling together all the Whitehall threads in future.
cc:
D I Morphet Esq Department of Energy
CONFIDENTIAL
eve
d
D C Wilson