GRS 2000
CONFIDENTIAL
M HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2779
OF 28094OZ AUGUST 86
CONFIDENTIAL
HULC 160/1
TOP Q E
"NUEIVED INKS.
23 AUG 1986
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, PARIS, DT DERARTMENT OF ENERGY.
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
(497)
OPY
NUCLEAR SAFETY: CHINA
468
FURTHER TO OUR TELNO 2709 THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT STAYED
IN THE SPOTLIGHT DURING THE WEEK ENDING 25 AUGUST. THE MAJOR
DEVELOPMENTS ARE SUMMAR SED 'N PARAGRAPHS 2 TO 11 BELOW.
2. THE 4-DAY VISIT TO PEKENG BY THE 12 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT STAYED IN FOCUS. THE MEDIANOTED THAT THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WERE MET BY MR. RONG KONG, HEAD OF THE SECOND DEPARTMENT OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU OFFICE AND MR. MA FUBANG, DIRECTOR OF THE NUCLEAR ENERGY
BUREAU OF THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY MINISTRY DURING THEIR FIRST FULL
DAY IN CHINA ON 18 AUGUST. MR. RONG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING TO
THE DELEGATION THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD RESPECT HONG KONG
PEOPLE'S VIEWS BY GIVING PRIORITY TO THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THE DAYA
BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE RECENT RELEASE OF
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE DAYA BAY PROJECT AND THE PLANNED
NUCLEAR ENERGY EXHIBITION IN HONG KONG HAD DEMONSTRATED CHINA'S
SINCERITY IN RESPECTING PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG. HE ADDED THAT
EVEN IF CHINA SHELVED THE PROJECT, NT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY MEAN
CHINA HAD RESPECTED HONG KONG'S VIEWS BECAUSE MANY HONG KONG
PEOPLE WERE ON FAVOUR OF THE PROJECT. THE MEDIA RECORDED THAT
THE HONG KONG DELEGATION HARD-HIT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES FOR NOT
MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEM TO SEE PREMIER ZHAO ZEYANG AND OTHER
CHINESE LEADERS. THEY ALSO CRITICISED MR. MA FUBANG FOR RETERATING
CHINA'S INTENTION TO SIGN THE CONTRACTS WITH THE EQUIPMENT
SUPPLIERS BEFORE A SAFETY REPORT WAS COMPILED.
3. THE MEDIA EXTENSIVELY REPORTED THAT THE 12 REPRESENTATIVES OF
THE JOINT CONFERENCE VISITED THE NUCLEAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE IN
PEKING ON 19 AUGUST. THE REPRESENTATIVES WERE QUOTED AS SAYING
THAT THE REACTOR OPERATED BY THE INSTITUTE WAS MAINLY FOR
SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES AND THAT A COMPARISON COULD NOT BE
MADE WITH THE DAYA BAY PLANT WHICH WOULD BE 60 TIMES OF THAT OF THIS REACTOR. IN RESPONSE TO SUCH CRITICHISMS, CNS ISSUED A REPORT STATING THAT MR. CHEN ZHENGHUA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE,' CLARIFIED THAT THE SAFETY OF A NUCLEAR REACTOR HAD NOTHING TO DO
WITH PTS INPUT AND REGRETTED THAT MEMBERS OF THE JOINT CONFERENCE
HAD MADE INAPPROPRIATE REMARKS WHICH ANGERED THE HOST DURING THE
VISIT. IT WAS ALSO RECORDED THAT MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION LATER
APOLOGISED IN PRIVATE TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.
CONFIDENTIAL
"
14.