-HICK 166/1
29 JUL 1986
CONFIDENTIAL
OCMIAN 2941
CONFIDENTIAL
OO PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
281630Z JUL
GRS 385
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1603
OF 281630Z JULY 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PARIS, PE
263
PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR FROM WILSON
YOUR TELNO 2441 CHINA: NUCLEAR SAFETY
TOP
3636
ECE
·52941
1
THE LEAK TO THE OBSERVER WAS UNFORTUNATE. THE DEPARTMENT /
1.
THANK YOU FOR TUR. IN VIEW OF ITS PERSONAL CHARACTER AND
ITS REFERENCES TO PERSONALITIES IN THE UKAEA WE THOUGHT IT BEST
THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE REPEATED TO DTI AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
2.
ARE TELEGRAPHING SEPARATELY TO LET YOU KNOW THE LINE BEING TAKEN
BY THE DTI IN DEALING WITH ANY FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS FROM THE
PRESS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE UKAEA HAS ALSO TELEXED DIRECTLY TO
YAXLEY ON THIS. THEY DO NOT FEEL ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE
SUBSTANCE OF THEIR CONSULTANCY REPORT WITHOUT AUTHORISATION FROM
YOU: I HOPE YOU WILL GIVE THEM ALL THE LATITUDE THAT THEY FEEL
THEY NEED TO DEAL WITH THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE OBSERVER ARTICLE.
3.
BUT WE FEAR THAT THE BURDEN OF ANSWERING PRESS ENQUIRIES
WILL FALL TO YOU, SINCE THE WORK IS BEING DONE BY UKAEA AT YOUR
REQUEST. WE HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE
REPORTED VIEWS OF ONE HKG OFFICIAL ABOUT ONE UKAEA DOCUMENT
SHOULD NOT BE EQUATED WITH THE ATTITUDE OF THE HKG TO THE PROJECT
AS A WHOLE. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT LINE YOU HAVE BEEN
TAKING WITH THE LOCAL PRESS.
1
CONFIDENTIAL