From The Minister of State
558
Mck 166/ (Foreign and Commonwealth Office
EVRO IN
22 SEP 1386 London SW1A 2AH
9. September 1986
Ди
Pever
4284
You wrote to me on 13 August about an approach to you from Trini Leung, Secretary of the Coalition for Shelving the Daya Bay Project, of 444 Nathan Road, 8th Floor, Flat B, Kowloon, Hong Kong about the proposed nuclear plant at Daya Bay in China.
We have followed very closely the expressions of concern in Hong Kong about the nuclear plant at Daya Bay, and have been in touch with the Chinese authorities for several years over various aspects of the project. Our recent exchanges with the Chinese Government have taken full account of the concerns expressed by Hong Kong people about safety aspects of the plant, and have concentrated on what measures might be taken to allay these concerns. We envisage that these contacts will continue. We know that the French authorities (whose companies are supplying the nuclear plant and technology) are also in close touch with the Chinese authorities.
As you say, it is ultimately for the Chinese authorities to decide whether or not the project proceeds. We believe that, once people in Hong Kong are more fully informed of the attention being paid to the safety of the planned plant, this will help to allay their fears. We welcome recent statements by the Chinese authorities that they regard safety and quality as paramount in their nuclear power programme, and the practical measures which they have taken to give effect to that commitment. We also hope that the publication on 30 August of the reports on the recent visits to various countries by members of the UMELCO Standing Panel on Public Utilities will help to promote greater understanding in Hong Kong regarding civil nuclear power in general, and the Daya Bay project in particular. I can assure you that we shall continue to do all we can to meet the concerns of Hong Kong people in this connection.
Sir Peter Blaker KCMG MP
House of Commons
LONDON SW1A OAA
/Ms Leung