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Confidential
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHINESE NUCLEAR SOCIETY WAS WELL
RECEIVED. IN VIEW OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE EXHIBITION, THE
CLOSING OF IT WAS DEFERRED FROM 26 TO 28 SEPTEMBER. SO FAR
ABOUT 80,000 PEOPLE HAD SEEN THE EXHIBITION (PLEASE ALSO SEE
DISTRICT OFFICERS' REPORTS).
8.
THE MEDIA REPORTED THAT A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, MRS.
E. MOK FROM THE ECONOMIC SERVICES BRANCH, ATTENDED A SPECIAL
SESSION OF IAEA GENERAL CONFERENCE HELD BETWEEN 24 AND 26 SEPTEMBER
TO DISCUSS THE GENERAL QUESTION OF NUCLEAR SAFETY. IT WAS HIGH-
LIGHTED THAT MRS. MOK WAS ATTACHED TO THE UK DELEGATION AS AN
OBSERVER AS HONG KONG WAS NOT ELIGBLE TO JOIN HAEA WHOSE STATUTE
LIMITED MEMBERSHIP TO STATES. UPON RETURN TO HONG KONG ON 29 SEPTEMBER, MRS. MOX TOLD THE PRESS THAT HER ATTENDANCE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH CONTACTS WITH IAEA SECRETARIAT AND
LEARN MORE ABOUT AEA'S ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR SAFETY
MATTERS. SHE ALSO SAND THAT BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA HAD SIGNED THE TWO CONVENTIONS ON EARLY NOTIFICATION OF NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS AND
ON EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IN ATOMIC DISASTERS. RELATED TO THIS, THE MEDIA ALSO RECORDED THAT THE CHINESE REPRESENTATIVES TO THE
HAEA SPECIAL SESSION, HAD REAFFIRMED CHINA'S COMMITMENTS TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SAFETY STANDARS. THE SIGNING OF THE TWO CONVENTIONS
WAS GENERALLY CONCEIVED AS INDICATION OF CHINA'S DETERMINATION TO
ENSURE SAFE OPERATION OF THEIR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AT DAYA BAY
AND QINSHAN.
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9. IN A FURTHER ATTEMPT TO REASSURE HONG KONG PEOPLE OF THE
SAFETY OF THE DAY BAY PLANT, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES GAVE PEUTER
REPORTERS A PARE TOUR AROUND THE CHINA'S TOP NUCLEAR RESEARCH
CENTRE, OFTEN DURBED ATOMIC CITY'', IN THE SOUTHWEST OF PEKING.
THE REUTER REPORTED THAT THE CENTRE WAS EQUIPPED WITH MODERN
AMERICAN COMPUTERS AND WAS AT PRESENT SENDING ABOUT 100 RESEARCH
SCIENTISTS ABROAD EVERY YEAR TO LEARN ABOUT THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT. THE CENTRE WAS DESTINED TO BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE SAFETY OF THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR PLANTS. SEPARATELY, A CHINESE NUCLEAR EXPERT, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE OVERSEAS
EDITION OF THE PEOPLE'S DAILY SAID THAT PROFESSOR POON CHUNG-KWONG'S
PROPOSAL FOR TRAINING NUCLEAR EXPERTS IN HONG KONG FOR THE MON-IT-
ORING OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT WAS A GOOD IDEA. IT WAS NOTED THAT
THERE WEPE NOT MANY TOURS TO DAYA SAY ORGANISED BY NONA.
PROBABLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT MOST ORGANISATIONS HAD ALREADY
VISITED DAYA BAY AND THAT CNA WAS TOO BUSY WITH NATONAL DAY
CELEBRATIONS.
J
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IT WAS
110.
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