CONFIDENTIAL
8
117261
MDHIAN 9306
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 563
OF 050413Z APRIL 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
Behind
1080
HONG KONG TELNO
HKC 166
TOP COPY Q DIST?
ба
1080 TO F C O AND YOUR TELNO 281.
POSSIBLE NEW CHINESE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AT DAYA BAY.
1. I RAISED THIS WITH GUO FENGMIN ON 5 APRIL IN THE TERMS FORESHADOWED IN PARA 4 OF MY TELNO 557, AS INSTRUCTED IN YOUR TU R. I ADDED THE POINT ABOUT THE DESIRABILITY OF A REFERENCE TO CONSULTATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HONG KONG CONCERNS IN ANY CORRECTIVE STATEMENT THE CHINESE MIGHT MAKE, SETTING THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STEPS THEY HAD ALREADY TAKEN TO HANDLE THESE SENSITIVE ASPECTS IN THE CASE OF THE FIRST DAYA BAY PROJECT.
2. GUO SAID HE WOULD CONSIDER OUR SUGGESTION OF AN AUTHORITATIVE CHINESE STATEMENT. HE HAD ALREADY BEEN ALERTED TO THE PROBLEM BY AN APPROACH MADE BY THE POLITICAL ADVISER TO NCNA IN HONG KONG. AS HE UNDERSTOOD IT ALL CHINA HAD AN ENERGY SHORTAGE AND PERHAPS THE MOST SEVERE SHORTFALL IN ELECTRIC POWER WAS IN GUANGDONG. THE PROVINCE WANTED TO GET ''SEVERAL''
'' NEW POWER STATIONS BUILT QUICKLY AND IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A NEW NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY. BUT THESE WERE MATTERS FOR THE STATE COUNCIL TO DECIDE AND IT HAD MADE NO (NO) DECISION ON ANY NEW NUCLEAR POWER STATION AS YET. IN CLOSING GUO REPEATED THAT HIS SIDE WERE WILLING TO LOOK AT THE IDEA OF A STATEMENT, TO PREVENT THE PRESS STORY SPREADING ANY FURTHER.
3. I THANKED GUO AND SAID WE WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO ANYTHING
THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES COULD DO TO HELP.
BAILES
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