12-NOV-1993 12:07
BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION
tendency on the part of HKNIC to deflect criticism of the nuclear plant by pointing to problems at the conventional plant. This of course redounds to GECA's disadvantage and in particular to the British elements of the GECA installation (I gather from what Peter Kelly said that there may be pressures in France to use more conventional plant from the Alsthom Group in future).
On the way back to Hong Kong we talked to C K Ho about the timing of the official opening. We told him we would try to secure the presence of a Minister and, with that in mind, that it would be helpful to have as much advance notice as possible. He gave it as his view that it was now very unlikely the plant would be opened before late February early March 1994. Although the present problems with the gaskets and condensers will hopefully be resolved well before then, he thought that every aspect of the station's operations would be looked at microscopically before a formal launch. That probably means it would be unrealistic to think of opening the station sooner than he said. But he undertook to keep us in the picture and we will of course keep in touch with him over the next few weeks.
In ever feel.
J Smith-Laittan
P.04