CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 685
OF 04093OZ MAY 93
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
HICC 166/1
RECEIVED
L-MA) 1993
DESK C INDEX
PA
STRY
REGISTRY Action Taken
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS VIENNA, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Ma
که
027673
MDHIAN 9629
CORRECTED VERSION PARA 1
42
OUR TELNO 663: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY.
1.
WANG FA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE STATE COUNCIL'S OFFICE OF NUCLEAR STEERING COMMITTEE, PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG LAST WEEKEND (30 APRIL 1 MAY). C K HO OF HKNIC HAD A TWO AND A HALF HOUR MEETING WITH HIM. WE DID NOT ACCEPT HO'S INVITATION TO JOIN THE MEETING, BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THAT WANG MIGHT FEEL RESTRICTED BY OUR PRESENCE FROM SPEAKING FREELY. C K HO REPORTED THE OUTCOME OF THE MEETING TO US TODAY.
2, WANG INDICATED THAT THE GUANGDONG SIDE WOULD MOST PROBABLY AGREE TO RESUME TALKS IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 17 MAY, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE THEIR WRITTEN CONFIRMATION. WITHOUT BEING DRAWN, WANG WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS HAD GONE WELL, BUT FURTHER PROGRESS WAS HELD UP BECAUSE OF THE TWO SIDES' DIFFERENCES ON THE QUESTION OF THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION. IN RESPONSE, HO SAID THAT BASED ON HIS EXPERIENCE OF THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HKNIC AND GNPJVC, HE DID NOT CONSIDER IT NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE TO KEEP INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL, OR TO HAVE ANY WRITTEN GUARANTEES ON THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION EXCHANGED. HE SAID THAT WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT WAS MUTUAL TRUST AND CLOSE CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. SUCH CO-ORDINATION WOULD ENSURE THAT IMPORTANT PRESS STATEMENTS WERE ALWAYS ISSUED BY THE TWO SIDES AT THE SAME TIME. ANY RESTRICTIONS ON THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION MIGHT OTHERWISE BE EASILY MISCONSTRUED BY THE HONG KONG PUBLIC AS AN ATTEMPT TO COVER UP IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. WANG APPEARED TO APPRECIATE HO'S VIEWS, ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT MAKE ANY DEFINITE COMMENTS. HO'S IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE LINE TAKEN BY THE GUANGDONG SIDE MIGHT ONLY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES, AND THAT CHEN ZENG QING AND WANG FA OF THE NUCLEAR STEERING COMMITTEE OFFICE MIGHT BE INCLINED TO TAKE A BROADER AND MORE FLEXIBLE VIEW OF THIS
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CONFIDENTIAL