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7. THE MEDIA EXTENSIVELY REPORTED ON THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY
THE LEGCO'S AD HOC GROUP FOLLOWING ITS. SECOND MEETING ON 11 NOVEMBER. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE AD HOC GROUP HAD FINALISED ITS
TERMS OF REFERENCE AND WORKS PROGRAMME FOR SUBMISSION TO THE
IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 14 NOVEMBER (COPIES BEING SENT TO YOU AND PEKING BY BAG). A LEGCO DELEGATION WOULD VISIT THE DAYA BAY SITE IN DECEMBER, AFTER WHICH THE AD HOC GROUP WOULD DISCUSS THE GOVERNMENT REPORT ON DAYA BAY IN FULL. IT WAS EMPHASISED THAT THE AD HOC GROUP WOULD CONCENTRATE ON OBTAINING MORE INFORMATION ON DAYA BAY, THROUGH HKNIC AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. ONE AREA OF CONCERN WAS WHEN CHINA WOULD FINALISE THE ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING THE
ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH HONG KONG PARTICIPATION. THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL NATURALLY WISHED CHINA WOULD INVITE SOME OMELCO MEMBERS TO
JOIN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
8. THE JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT', APART FROM CRITICISING THE GOVERNMENT REPORT ON DAYA BAY, ALSO LAUNCHED
SOME OTHER PIECEMEAL ATTACKS ON THE PROJECT. IN AN OPINION LETTER
TO LEGCO'S AD HOC GROUP TO MONITOR THE DAYA BAY PROJECT, THE JOINT
CONFERENCE SUGGESTED THAT INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS SHOULD BE INVITED TO
ASSESS THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT. MEANWHILE, THE ANTI-NUCLEAR
COALITION INVITED A JAPANESE SCIENTIST, DR. SADAO ICHIKAWA, TO
TALK ON RADIOACTIVE HAZARDS FROM NUCLEAR PLANTS. MR. ICHIKAWA
REMARKED THAT THE DAYA BAY PLANT WOULD POSE A THREAT TO HONG KONG.
9. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST OF 10 NOVEMBER PUBLISHED THE RESULTS
OF A PUBLIC OPINION POLL CONDUCTED BY A MARKET RESEARCH COMPANY.
IT WAS NOTED THAT 44 PER CENT OF THE RESPONDENTS NOW BELIEVED
THAT THE DAYA BAY PROJECT SHOULD GO AHEAD, REPRESENTING A 10 PER CENT SWING IN FAVOUR OF THE PLANT COMPARED WITH A SIMILAR
SURVEY IN SEPTEMBER. FIFTY-TWO PER CENT OF THE REPONDENTS
NEVERTHELESS MAINTAINED THAT THE NUCLEAR PLANT SHOULD NOT PROCEED, (THE FULL POLL RESULTS BEING SENT TO YOU AND PEKING BY BAG.)
10. WE ARE ARRANGING FOR A SUMMARY OF MEDIA REPORTS COVERING THE
PERIOD BETWEEN 30 AND 12 NOVEMBER TO BE FAXED TO YOU AND PARIS.
YOUDE
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