CONFIDENTIAL
4.
During the Executive Council's visit to London in September 1986, the Prime Minister assured the members of ExCo that Britain
was fully aware of her responsibilities for the welfare and
well-being of the people of Hong Kong, and had relayed Hong Kong's concerns over the Daya Bay plant to the Chinese government on
several occasions. Mrs Thatcher emphasised that in the light of our discussions with other governments concerned, HMG is confident that
the construction, operation and management of the plant will be
carried out to the highest possible safety standards.
5.
Since the contracts were signed last September, concern in
Hong Kong has abated somewhat over the issue. It is now clear that
an important element in the strength of the anti-Daya Bay coalition
was a wish to establish how far LegCo was subject to the pressure of public opinion on a major issue of this kind. The energies of many of this group have consequently now been diverted to supporting the
campaign for direct elections, in an effort to ensure that in future
LegCo is more "democratic" and thus more responsive to public opinion. But the issue has not disappeared altogether and indeed
may re-emerge as the plant nears completion. Another major accident at a foreign plant - and above all at a British, French or Chinese
one could well make pressure for the Hong Kong Government to
withdraw its support from the project all but uncontainable.
6.
As the Hong Kong Government has no experience of nuclear
installations, it has relied on foreign expertise to advise on issues relevant to the nuclear power industry. In 1985, the Hong Kong Government engaged the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to
undertake studies covering background radiation monitoring
programmes, risk assessment, public education and contingency
planning. While some of these reports have been completed and their
recommendations implemented, the events at Chernobyl and the
resulting public outcry prompted the Hong Kong Government to ask the
UKAEA to undertake further research. This research is still
continuing, and the Hong Kong Government expects to receive the
UKAEA's reports soon.
Hong Kong Department September 1987
CONFIDENTIAL