RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
HKC 16613
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
27 OCT 1987
DESK OFPICER
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 4044
OF 2406OOZ OCTOBER 87
INDEX
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
125
127
128
052772
MDLIAN 4256
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?
YOUR TELNO 2788 AND PEKING'S TELNO 1813
DAYA BAY ADVISORY BODY
1. THE CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT ADVISORY BODY ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE REPORT COMPILED BY THE LEGCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS. THE PARTICULAR OBSERVATION, WHICH WAS FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, READ
''TO ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT ADVISORY BODY FOR NUCLEAR SAFETY AND NUCLEAR REGULATORY CONTROL WITH HONG KONG PARTICIPATION, AND TO DRAW ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF EXPERTS FROM IAEA, FRANCE, USA AND JAPAN.''
AS CAST, THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE PROPOSAL IS THAT THE CHINESE CANNOT ACCEPT THE IMPLIED REGULATORY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PROPOSED BODY. UNDERSTANDABLY THEY MAINTAIN THAT THIS ROLE IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND IT BELONGS TO THE NNSA.
3.
FOR
LEGCO MEMBERS ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING WITH THE NCNA WAYS OF REACHING A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION. OUR PART, WE HAVE PUBLICLY STATED THAT WE ARE WILLING TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN. OUR PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY IS THAT BECAUSE A CONSENSUS AMONGST LEGCO MEMBERS HAS NOT YET EMERGED WE STILL DO NOT KNOW PRECISELY WHAT TERMS OF REFERENCE LEGCO NOW HAVE IN MIND FOR THE ADVISORY BODY NOR ARE WE AWARE OF HOW THEY ENVISAGE THE BODY WOULD WORK IN PRACTICE. INFORMALLY, WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY ONE MEMBER OF THE AD HOC GROUP THAT WE SHOULD NOT (NOT) BECOME INVOLVED AT THIS STAGE. BEHIND THE SCENES WE ARE NEVERTHELESS IN CONTACT WITH THE NCNA WHO HAVE ADVISED US THAT THE PROPOSAL IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED AND HAS NOT BEEN RULED OUT.
.
4 WHILE WE THEREFORE TAKE NOTE OF THE VALID POINT MADE IN PARA- GRAPH 1 OF YOUR TUR AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR OFFER OF ASSISTANCE, WE NEVERTHELESS FEEL, HAVING REGARD TO ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT UNLESS WE RECEIVE A SPECIFIC REQUEST FROM COUNCILLORS, WE SHOULD, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING, REFRAIN FROM OFFERING TO MAKE A PARALLEL APPROACH IN PEKING.
1
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