OCMIAN 8963
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 29010OZ PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
281645Z AUG
GRS 581
CONFIDENTIAL.
502
58963
TOP COPY a DIST ?
-
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 290100Z HONG KONG
TELNO 1833
OF 281645Z AUGUST 86
MICIC 166/1
1 SEP 1986
DESK OFFICER
INFO DESKBY 290100Z PEKING
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE PARIS
484
485 486
aat
PA
HONG KONG TELNOS 2746-2748 AND 2762-2764, AND PEKING TELNO 1553:
DAYA BAY
493
1
1.
THANK YOU FOR THESE VERY USEFUL REPORTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WERE DISCUSSED AT A MEETING CHAIRED BY
BENJAMIN (DTI) ON 28 AUGUST. THE MEETING RECOGNISED THE
POTENTIALLY VERY AWKWARD SITUATION YOU NOW FACE AND THE NEED TO
TAKE FURTHER STEPS TO KEEP DEVELOPMENTS UNDER CONTROL.
2.
ON TIMING OF CONTRACT SIGNATURE, WE AGREE THAT A QUOTABLE
CHINESE STATEMENT IS NEEDED BEFORE THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON
3 SEPTEMBER. WE ALSO TAKE HMA PEKING'S POINT ABOUT THE
DIFFICULTY FOR THE CHINESE OF SAYING ANYTHING PUBLICLY
THEMSELVES, AND WE ARE ATTRACTED BY THE FORMULA IN PARA 3 OF
PEKING TUR. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS (BY FLASH TELEGRAM TO PEKING)
GRATEFUL IF HMA PEKING WOULD SPEAK TO MEI ZHAORONG ON 29 AUGUST
ALONG THE LINES OF MIFT.
3.
(484)
THE MEETING AGREED THE LINE YOU PROPOSE TO TAKE ON DAYA
BAY WHEN YOU VISIT PEKING (YOUR TELNO 2764) EXCEPT FOR THE
REFERENCE IN PARA 5 TO THE FRENCH CONNECTION. WE DO NOT BELIEVE
IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO SUGGEST A CONTINUATION OF THIS
J
CONNECTION TO THE CHINESE WITHOUT CLEARING OUR LINES WITH THE FRENCH, ESPECIALLY AS WE HAVE PUT THE SAME SUGGESTION TO THEM IN PARIS, AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING ITS IMPLICATIONS. WE HAVE CONSULTED HM EMBASSY PARIS BY TELEPHONE. THEY CONFIRM THAT THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE ISSUE FOR THE FRENCH, AND SUGGEST THAT THE SUBJECT OF POST-COMMISSIONING SAFETY. COOPERATION MIGHT BE RAISED BY YOU AS AN OPEN QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE CHINESE HAVE GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO THIS ASPECT.
IT FURTHER OCCURS TO US THAT WE MIGHT MAKE USE IN THIS
YOU MIGHT SAY, CONTEXT OF THE FORTHCOMING EXCO VISIT TO LONDON. FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SOME MEMBERS OF EXCO WOULD BE CALLING ON THE
4.
Confidential
SECRETARY,