GRS 550
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 4022
Confidential
OF 030205Z DECEMBER 86
759
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
HKK 166/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRA
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY! INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON-
INDIA
- 3 DEC 1986
NUCLEAR SAFETY: PUBLIC OPINION ON DAYA BAY
FURTHER TO OUR TELNO. 3854, THE GOVERNMENT'S REPORT ON SAFETY AND TARIFF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION PROMPTED FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE MEDIA AND THE ANTI-DAYA BAY LOBBY (PARAGRAPH 2). THE GENERAL PUBLIC HOWEVER REMAINED DETERMINEDLY APATHETIC TOWARDS THE REPORT AND THE WHOLE DAYA BAY ISSUE (PARAGRAPH 3). THE GREENPEACE HAD WRITTEN TO THE CHINESE PREMIER ON DAYA BAY (PARAGRAPH 4). THE COMMENTS MADE BY THE FORMER GOVERNMENT SCIENCE ADVISER ATTRACTED SOME MEDIA ATTENTION (PARAGRAPH 5).
2.
THE GOVERNMENT'S REPORT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON SAFETY AND TARIFF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION DREW FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE NEWSPAPERS. WHILE THE LEFT-WING PAPERS CONTINUED TO THROW POSITIVE COMMENTS ON THE REPORT, THE ANTI- NUCLEAR PAPERS PUT FORWARD FURTHER CRITICISMS. THE ADVERSE COMMENTS WERE FOCUSED ON THE GOVERNMENT'S REFUSAL TO RELEASE THE SENSITIVE INFORMATION AND CHINA LIGHT AND POWER CO.'S ESTIMATES FOR THE DECOMMISSIONING COST AND THE THE ECONOMIC SAVINGS. THE *JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT ASKED FOR FURTHER EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT DAYA BAY WOULD RESULT IN ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO HONG KONG CONSUMERS. THEY ALSO DEMANDED AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY SOME OF THE INFORMATION IN THE LAZARD BROTHERS' REPORT COULD NOT BE RELEASED.
3. THE GENERAL PUBLIC HOWEVER DID NOT SHOW INTEREST IN THE REPORT. VERY FEW PEOPLE BOTHERED TO READ THE REPORT AND TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE DETAILED TARIFF AND SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DAYA BAY PLANT. INDEED PUBLIC INTEREST IN DAYA BAY HAD VIRTUALLY DIED DOWN. A RECENT PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST REVEALED THAT DAYA BAY PLANT RANKED LAST IN A LIST OF 14 IMPORTANT TASKS FOR THE GOVERNMENT. OF THE 1006 PERSONS INTERVIEWED, ONLY THREE PER CENT OF THEM CONSIDERED THE DAYA BAY PLANT AS THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK FOR THE GOVERNMENT. A TOTAL OF SIX PER CENT OF RESPONDENTS PICKED UP DAYA BAY AS AN IMPORTANT TASK FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
4.
THE MEDIA NOTED THAT THE DAYA BAY PROJECT HAD ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF INTERNATIONAL ANTI-NUCLEAR ORGANISATIONS. AN INTER- NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ORGANISATION, GREENPEACE, HAD RECENTLY WRITTEN TO THE CHINESE PREMIER, MR. ZHAO ZIYANG, ARGUING
Confidential
THAT