CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 904
OF 300913Z JUNE 93
CONFIDENTIAL
166/1
RECEIVED IN RECISTRY
29 JJ 1993
DESK OFF INCLX
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.
TOP COPY DIST?
RECISTRY tion Taken
(67)
017717
MDHIAN 7004
INFO PRIORITY UKMIS VIENNA, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
63
(64
HONG KONG TELNO 999, YOUR TELNO 384, OUR TELNO 859 AND HONG KONG TELNO 1014: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY
SUMMARY
1.
65
CHEN ZENGQING EVENTUALLY SEEMS TO SEE THE CASE FOR PUTTING CONFIDENTIALITY TO ONE SIDE UNTIL THE REST OF THE PACKAGE IS CLEAR: HE AGREES TO HAVE ANOTHER GO AT THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES. HONG KONG MAY WISH TO WAIT A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEN PROPOSE THE NEW DATES FOR AN EXPERT METING ON ON-SITE ISSUES.
DETAIL
2.
COUNSELLOR CALLED ON CHEN ZENGQING (STATE COUNCIL LEADING GROUP ON NUCLEAR POWER) ON 30 JUNE. HIS DEPUTY, WANG FA, WAS NOT PRESENT THIS TIME. WE FIRST ASKED WHETHER THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN ABLE TO RECONSIDER THEIR POSITION IN THE LIGHT OF THE POINTS WE HAD MADE ON 11 JUNE. CHEN SAID (IN SUMMARY) THAT HIS OFFICE HAD PUT OUR POINTS TO THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES, WHO CONTINUED TO WANT A QUICK SETTLEMENT BUT STILL THOUGHT IT BEST TO SETTLE THE CONFIDENTIALITY QUESTION BEFORE MOVING ON TO ON-SITE QUESTIONS: THEY HAD WRITTEN ACCORDINGLY TO THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES ON 14 JUNE AND WERE AWAITING THEIR RESPONSE. WE THEN SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED (PARA 3 OF HONG KONG TUR) EXCEPT THAT, FOR THE FACE REASONS EXPLAINED IN PARA 8 BELOW, WE DID NOT SPECIFY THE PROPOSED NEW DATES FOR THE EXPERT TALKS).
3.
CHEN RESPONDED WITH A LONG RIGMAROLE ABOUT THE POSITIVE APPROACH TAKEN BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND ABOUT THE ERRONEOUS VIEW OF THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES THAT ONLY COMMERCIALLY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION SHOULD BE REGARDED AS CONFIDENTIAL. WHETHER WE CALLED CERTAIN INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL' OR
''SENSITIVE'', IT SHOULD NOT BE MADE PUBLIC UNILATERALLY: THERE SHOULD BE CONSULTATIONS AND CONSENSUS. THE GREAT BULK OF MATERIAL WOULD BE PROVIDED WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS, BUT SOME FORECASTS ETC COULD ONLY BE PROVIDED FOR INTERNAL USE BY SENIOR OFFICIALS.
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL