C
CONFIDENTIAL
134760
MDHIAN 3705
HIC 166/, M
RECEIVED STRY
HICC 166/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 927
7 JUN 1993
8 Ju.. 1993
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
POEX
PA
Agron Tal
INDEX
PA Action Taken
OF 071004Z JUNE 931
INFO UKMIS VIENNA
HINGTON UKREP JLG HONG KONG
YOUR TELNO 555: GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE IN TUR, WHICH ACCORDS WITH OUR OWN FINDINGS. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE THINK THAT IT MAY NOT BE FRUITFUL FOR US TO REJECT OUT OF HAND A FORMULATION BASED ON ARTICLE 5(3) OF THE IAEA CONVENTION ON EARLY NOTIFICATION. IT MIGHT INDEED BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE FOR US TO DO SO, SINCE THE CONVENTION PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR OUR CURRENT DISCUSSIONS AND THE AGREEMENTS REACHED ON MANY OF THE ISSUES SO FAR.
2. HOWEVER, ANY FORMULA WHICH GIVES THE CHINESE A FREE HAND TO DESIGNATE INFORMATION AS CONFIDENTIAL WOULD BE HARD TO SELL HERE. GIVEN THE INSTINCTIVELY SECRETIVE APPROACH WHICH THE CHINESE
OFTEN ADOPT TOWARDS DISASTERS, THIS WOULD BE SEEN AS A LICENSE FOR COVER UPS. IF WERE TO ACCEPT A CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISION, WE NEED TO PIN DOWN, AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE, WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION IT WILL COVER, AND WHY. WE MAY FOR EXAMPLE BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH A PROVISION RESTRICTED TO THE WIDELY UNDERSTOOD CONCEPT
OF COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION.
3. ON THE OTHER HAND, OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO GET THE GUANGDONG SIDE TO GIVE US PROMPTLY AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE ABOUT
ANY INCIDENTS THAT MAY POTENTIALLY THREATEN HONG KONG. IT WE ARE TO BE SUFFICIENTLY PREPARED IN AN EMERGENCY, WE CANNOT DO WITHOUT THIS. WE ALSO WANT TO PROCEED QUICKLY TO THE DISCUSSION OF ON- SITE ISSUES, CURRENTLY BLOCKED ON THE CONFIDENTIALITY ISSUE. TO FREE OURSELVES FROM THIS HOOK, WE ARE PREPARED TO LET THE GUANGDONG SIDE KNOW THAT WE ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER A CLAUSE IN OUR AGREEMENT BASED ON ARTICLE 5(3) OF THE CONVENTION, PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO SPECIFY CLEARLY AND CONVINCINGLY THE TYPE OF INFORMATION AND THE PRECISE CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE COVERED
BY CONFIDENTIALITY.
4. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF PEKING COULD SEEK AN EARLY MEETING AT SENIOR LEVEL TO SOUND OUT CHEN ZENGQING OF THE NUCLEAR STEERING COMMITTEE OFFICE. WE SUGGEST THAT THE EMBASSY MIGHT TAKE THE
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL