GRS 1500
CONFIDENT HAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3077
CONFIDENTIAL
OF 240345Z SEPTEMBER 86
AKIC 166/1
634
OP
30 SEP 1986
26
INFO IMMEDIATE DTH, DEPT OF ENERGY, HKGO LONDON, PEKING, PARIS
NUCLEAR SAFETY: CHINA
INDE
FAA
ction. Tar
600
FURTHER TO OUR TELNO 2981, THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR PLANT REMAINED TO BE A MAJOR TALKING POINT DURING THE PER:HOD BETWEEN 12 AND 22 SEPTEMBER ALTHOUGH THERE WERE SIGNS THAT PUBLIC INTEREST WAS DECLINING. THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS ARE SET OUT IN PARAGRAPH 2 TO 10 BELOW.
2. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE FOUR EXCO UNOFFICIALS IN LONDON CONTINUED TO ATTRACT PUBLIC ATTENTION. THE MEDIA GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT THAT THE QUESTION OF SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT HAD NOT BEEN RAISED DURING THE MEETING BETWEEN THE EXCO DELEGATION AND THE PRIME MINISTER AS THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SAID THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PLANT WOULD BE ON SCHEDULE. IT WAS ALSO EXTENSIVELY REPORTED THAT MISS MARIA TAM, UPON RETURN TO HONG KONG, TOLD THE PRESS THAT THE VISIT TO LONDON WAS FRUITFUL AS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REASSURED THAT EVERY EFFORT WOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARDS WOULD BE ADOPTED IN THE DAYA BAY PLANT. SHE ALSO SAID THAT THE REPORT COMPILED BY THE LEGCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS WERE FAVOURABLY RECEIVED BY SOME BRITISH OFFICIALS WHO HAD READ T.
3. THE LEGCO REPORT WAS ALSO WELL RECEIVED FROM THE FRENCH EXPERTS INVOLVED IN THE DAYA BAY PROJECT. MR. CARL NICOLAGEN FROM THE FRAMATOME COMPANY, IN A PRESS INTERVIEW, SAND THAT THE REPORT WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND CONTAINED A NUMBER OF WORKABLE RECOMMENDATIONS. TAKING A DIFFERENT VIEW, THE ANTH-DAYA BAY GROUPS INCLUDING THE JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT, THE MEETING POINT AND THE HONG KONG AFFAIRS SOCIETY ARGUED THAT THE REPORT SHOULD NOT HAVE ADOPTED A PRO-NUCLEAR STAND NOTWITHSTANDING THE WIDESPREAD ANXIETY ABOUT DAYA BAY. THE MEDMA NOTED THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WERE NOT INTERESTED IN TAKING PART IN THE DEBATE ON THE LEGCO REPORT, ALTHOUGH THE LEGCO DELEGATIONS HAD INVITED PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THEIR FINDINGS. INDEED MORE THAN 5,000 COPIES OF THE REPOPT HAD BEEN DISTRIBUTED BUT ONLY SEVEN SUBMISSIONS HAD BEEN PECEIVED BY UMELCO. DR. DANIEL TSE, A MEMBER OF THE DELEGATIONS, SAID THAT HE WAS NOT SURPRISED ABOUT THE COOL RESPONSE BEARING IN MIND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING MUCH ONE COULD SAY ON SUCH A FACTUAL REPORT.
4. AS REPORTED IN PARA. 8 OF OUR TELNO 2981, FIVE LEGCO MEMBERS INCLUDING MR. JACKIE CHAN, DR. RICHARD LAH, DR. CONRAD LAM, PROFESSOR POON CHUNG-KWONG AND MR. POON CHI-FAI CONDUCTED A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY ON DAYA BAY. THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY, PUBLISHED
CONFIDENTIAL
ION.