CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 131030Z DTI
TELNO U/N
OF 130933Z OCTOBER 1987
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
HKC 166
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
15 OCT 1987
3
DUSK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
F.116
NIT
014040
MDHIAN 0698
117
FOR LUSSEY, SEE DTI
YOUR TELNO INDUS 300 TO HONG KONG: DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION: PRESS LINE FOR LORD YOUNG
1.
TUR:
WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED PRESS LINE IN
A) SECOND SENTENCE: UNLESS THE REFERENCE IS BASED ON A SPECIFIC STATEMENT BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, WE CONSIDER THE FIRST HALF OF THIS SENTENCE WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE IF WORDED AS FOLLOWS: ''UNDERSTAND THE CHINESE JOINT VENTURE COMPANY CONCERNED ARE URGENTLY CONSIDERING REMEDIAL ACTION WHICH COMPLIES WITH THE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN.
B) WE THEN SUGGEST THAT THE SECOND HALF OF THE SECOND SENTENCE BE EXPANDED INTO A SEPARATE SENTENCE AS FOLLOWS: ''FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT AS SOON AS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LEARNT OF THIS PROBLEM, IT SOUGHT A FULL REPORT FROM THE HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED ON BOTH THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEVIATION AND REMEDIAL ACTION TO BE TAKEN'' (HONG KONG TELNO 3829, PARA 3 REFERS). AS ORIGINALLY DRAFTED, THE WORDING IMPLIES THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS SEEKING A REPORT FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT,
AN IMPLICATION TO WHICH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE LIKELY TO RESPOND BADLY.
2.
WE THINK IT UNLIKELY THAT THE DAYA BAY ISSUE WILL BE RAISED BY THE PRESS UNLESS HONG KONG PRESS REPRESENTATIVES ARE PRESENT. IF THE ISSUE IS RAISED AND GIVEN THAT THE CHINESE IN THE JVC WERE APPARENTLY UNHAPPY AT OUR EARLIER INTERVENTION, WE SUGGEST THAT LORD YOUNG SHOULD DEPLOY THE LINE, AS REVISED ABOVE, DEFENCIVELY AND NOT GO BEYOUD IT.
EVANS
YYYY
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