CONFIDENTIAL
051615
MDLIAN 9686
D) OFFER TO ASSIST IN SPEEDING THE PROCESSING OF VISAS TO ENABLE THE RELEVANT CHINESE OFFICIALS TO COME TO HONG KONG FOR THE MARCH MEETING:
E) REITERATE THAT HONG KONG HAS MANY OF THE SAME CONCERNS AND NEEDS WITH RESPECT TO THE GNPS AS GUANGDONG PROVINCE AND PRESS FOR AN ASSURANCE THAT WE WILL:
I) BE NOTIFIED OF ALL STANDBY, PLANT, ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE EMERGENCIES AT THE SAME TIME AS GUANGDONG AND OTHER PARTIES IN CHINA:
II) BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE RADIOLOGICAL, METEOROLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DATA BY COMPUTER: AND
III) HAVE DIRECT TWO WAY COMMUNICATIONS LINKS BETWEEN OURSELVES AND BOTH THE GNPS AND THE GUANGDONG GOVERNMENT:
F) ACKNOWLEDGE CHEN'S POINT ABOUT ON-LINE ENGINEERING DATA AND SAY THAT WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER BEING GIVEN REGULAR REPORTS BY FAX INSTEAD:
G) CONFIRM 22 MARCH AS THE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF THE NEXT ROUND OF EXPERT TALKS IN HONG KONG: AND
H) PROPOSE THAT A FURTHER AND HOPEFULLY FINAL ROUND BE SCHEDULED FOR MID APRIL IN GUANGZHOU COMMENCING NO LATER THAN 20 APRIL.
CONCLUSION
11. IDEALLY WE WANT TO START TALKING ABOUT ALL OF OUR CONCERNS IN MARCH. GETTING ASSURANCE WITH RESPECT TO (E) AND A COMMITMENT TO FURTHER TALKS IN APRIL AT (H) ARE VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IF THE MARCH TALKS REMAIN LIMITED TO OFF-SITE EMERGENCIES, BECAUSE THEY WILL AT LEAST LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR EVENTUAL RESOLUTION TO OUR CONCERNS. WITHOUT EVEN THESE, WE WILL REALLY BE LITTLE BETTER OFF THAN WE ARE A PRESENT. FURTHERMORE THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS BECOMING A MAJOR POLITICAL PROBLEM IN HONG KONG WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED.
PATTEN
3
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