15 87 16:46 TIBCOOL) HK GOVT
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According to the Government official, the Paris Convention is also applicable to Hong Kong because the U.K. has entered into it. In other words, in case any contracting party of the Paris Convention has caused damage to Hong Kong as a result of nuclear accidents, the affected inhabitants or organisations in Hong Kong can demand under the convention compensation from the country concerned.
He said, for example, West Germany has an agreement with China that its nuclear wastes will be sent to China for disposal.
In case the vessel which is loaded with nuclear wastes from Germany has an accident when it is passing through Hong Kong, the affected local inhabitants or groups can then demand compensation from West Germany under the Paris Convention.
admitted.
But there however exists a problem, the government official China has only joined the Vienna Convention of which the U.K. is not a contracting party. In that case, if the Daya Bay plant has an accident before 1997, Hong Kong, as a matter of rule, will not be able to demand third party indemnity from China under the Paris Convention.
Nevertheless, the Government official said, the question of third party indemnity was provided for by China last year. The contents of the provisions are rather consistent with those of international treaties, i.e. the compensation payment, if converted to US dollar, is close to the amount of compensation covered in international treaties. Similarly, compensation claims should also be made within 10 years from the date of a nuclear accident; late applications will not be entertained. It is believed that these provisione will be applicable to inhabitants of Hong Kong and become the basis for them to claim compensation from China in the event of an accident at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant,
/ The people