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RECEIVER

AUG 1993

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO 740

OF 061027Z AUGUST 93

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREPJLG HONGONG INFO ROUTINE UKMIS VIENNA, WASHINGTON

73

CISTRY Action Taken

YOUR TELNO 1266: DAYA BAY: CROSS BORDER TALKS: CONFIDENTIALITY

1. WE HAVE CIRCULATED TUR TO OUR NUCLEAR EXPERTS AND ARE FAXING THEIR DETAILED COMMENTS TO LAU, OFFICE OF THE POLITICAL ADVISER. THESE PROVIDE USEFUL POINTS TO MAKE IN REBUTTING THE ARGUMENTS OF THE GUANGDONG SIDE.

2. WITH REGARD TO THREE MILE ISLAND, IT IS TRUE THAT ALARM AND DISORDER WERE CREATED IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THAT INCIDENT, BUT IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A LACK OF CO-ORDINATED AND (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION. ILL-INFORMED SPECULATION LED TO PANIC. WE CAN ARGUE CONVINCINGLY THAT IN

TODAY'S MEDIA AGE A SWIFT RELEASE OF INFORMATION AT

GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL IS THE ONLY WAY TO FORESTALL DISORDER.

3. AT THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES RELEASED NO INFORMATION AT ALL ABOUT CHERNOBYL - UNTIL THE RADIOACTIVE CLOUD WAS DETECTED IN SWEDEN. THE DAMAGE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THIS DELAY IS INCALCULABLE. GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF HONG KONG TO DAYA BAY, HOWEVER, A CHERNOBYL-STYLE DELAY WOULD EVIDENTLY BE DISASTROUS.

HURD

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ΜΑΙΝ

.HK POLICY

HKD

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