CONFIDENTIAL
177655
MDLIAN 5631
12. BEFORE CLOSING THE MEETING, WE RAISED WITH THEM AGAIN THE QUESTION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DETAILED TECHNICAL ARRANGEMENTS ALREADY AGREED FOR OFF-SITE ISSUES. OF THESE, THE MOST URGENT WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINK BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES FOR EARLY NOTIFICATION AND THE EXCHANGE OF EMERGENCY INFORMATION. WE SAID THAT THIS COMMUNICATION LINK MUST BE ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE COMMISSIONING OF THE PLANT. WE HANDED OVER TO THE GUANGDONG SIDE A PAPER SETTING OUT OUR TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS AND A LIST OF RESPONSIBLE OFFICERS. THE GUANGDONG SIDE, HOWEVER, SAID THAT, PROCEDURALLY, THEY WERE NOT REPEAT NOT IN A POSITION TO DISCUSS THIS AND ANY OTHER OUTSTANDING MATTERS UNTIL THE DISCUSSION OF ON-SITE MATTERS HAD BEEN CONCLUDED AND THE OVERALL PACKAGE WAS ENDORSED BY THE RELEVANT CENTRAL AUTHORITIES. WE STRESSED THAT WE SAW NO REASON WHY THE OFF-SITE ARRANGEMENTS, WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN AGREED, COULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED FIRST AND WE REITERATED THE URGENT NEED TO IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATELY THESE TECHNICAL ARRANGEMENTS, IN PARTICULAR, THE DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINK. THE GUANGDONG SIDE WOULD ONLY AGREE TO CONSIDER OUR REQUEST.
13. COPIES OF THE REVISED PROPOSALS PRESENTED BY THE TWO SIDES, AND A NOTE EXPLAINING THE INES SCALE, FOLLOW BY FAX.
COMMENT
14. THE OUT COME OF THE TALKS WAS DISAPPOINTING, BUT NOT UNEXPECTED. ONCE AGAIN, THE STARTING POINT FOR THE CHINESE SEEMS TO BE TO COMMIT THEMSELVES TO REVEALING AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE TIME CONSTRAINTS. WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE OBTAIN ADEQUATE INFORMATION ABOUT ON-SITE INCIDENTS IN A SUITABLE FORM, IN ADEQUATE TIME, AND THROUGH A RELIABLE CHANNEL, AND WE HAVE LITTLE SCOPE FOR REDUCING OUR REQUIREMENTS. ALTHOUGH OUR AGREEMENT ON OFF-SITE INFORMATION EXCHANGE WILL INEVITABLY BE THE KEYSTONE OF OUR OWN EMERGENCY PLANNING AND OUR EFFORTS TO ALLAY PUBLIC CONCERN, FAILURE TO REACH A SATISFACTORY OUTCOME ON ON-SITE ISSUES COULD GIVE RISE TO PUBLIC ANXIETY, BESIDES LEAVING AN IMPORTANT GAP IN OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW RELIABLY THE PLANT IS OPERATING AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR AGREED REPORTING PROCEDURES.
15. THE MOST WORRYING ASPECT WAS THE CHINESE SIDE'S REFUSAL TO IMPLEMENT THE ALREADY AGREED OFF-SITE ARRANGEMENTS. THIS BECOMES VERY URGENT NOW. THE PLANT IS ALREADY SUPPLYING ELECTRICITY TO HONG KONG. THERE IS NO REPEAT NO LOGICAL BASIS FOR WITHHOLDING THIS WHILE WE ARE SORTING OUT ON-SITE ISSUES AND THE COMMUNITY HERE WILL
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