SEP 05 '86 15:11 TIBCOOL) HK GOVT ·
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Ching Po felt that the report was a manifestation of public opinion and that China would naturally give it serious consideration.
The HK Commercial Daily said that the Peking visit reportedly planned for Legco members would be welcomed by China.
Yesterday's New Evening Post said that it would be wrong to say that the suggestions contained in the report could be worked out without the fact-finding trips. Commenting on criticisms that the report had made suggestions on the basis that the Daya Bay plant would be built as planned, the paper, together with one of its columnists, Yue Mak said that the decision on whether to build the plant rested with China.
Sing Pao said that discussions on the N-plant issue should enter a cooling-off period in which people should study in-depth the fact-finding missions' report.
HK Times said that there was a need for a special Legco sitting to discuss the N-plant issue. The paper said that while the suggestions in the report were useful and constructive, its stand was not acceptable because it was based on the premise that the nuclear plant would be built.
The Express said that the fact-finding missions and their report was a move to counter public opinion.
Chai Sun of the HK Economic Journal said that whether public opinion was right or wrong was purely a value judgement. Any project, no matter how reasonable, should be shelved if one fifth of the population was against iẸ.
Writing in Ming Pao, Dr Margaret Ng described the report as the start of moves to "pick up the pieces." She said the Chinese and HK Governments were putting on a show in which Legislative Councillors would play a leading role. The intention was to have a happy ending so that everyone would be able to get off the hook. Legco delegates took the view it would be futile to insist on getting something that was not achievable and that compromise was inevitable. As the nuclear debate drew to a close, it was becoming clear which attitude represented a wiser course of action.
The Post said in an editorial that Martin Lea's request for another Legco special debate seems perfectly reasonable. The paper said it is difficult to understand the Government's reluctance: some may come to the conclusion that it still has something to hide.
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