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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983
I'VE ALSO, NATURALLY, BEEN INTERESTED TO BE HERE DURING THE FEW DAYS IN WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE MADE DECISIONS AS TO THE FUTURE POTENTIAL COLLABORATION ON THE MAJOR NUCLEAR PROJECT WHICH, OF COURSE, IS A MATTER OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT BOTH ON CHINA AND ON HONG KONG. AND SO I LOOK UPON THIS LAST EIGHT DAYS AS BEING OF CONSIDERABLE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE AND 1 BELIEVE THAT IN THE COMING WEEKS, MONTHS AND YEARS THERE WILL BE A VERY CONSIDERABLE ACTIVITY RELATED TO THE MATTERS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS BOTH WITH THE LEADERS OF THE BUSINESS, DECISION- TAKING COMMUNITY HERE IN HONG KONG AND IN CHINA.
PERHAPS I COULD HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS.
QI YOU MENTIONED THE BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CHINA'S ENERGY DEVELOPMENT. I WAS WONDERING IN RELATION TO THE DAYA BAY PROJECT WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF GEC BEING AWARDED THE CONTRACT FOR TURBINE GENERATORS, AND SECONDLY, WHAT WILL THE BRITISH INVOLVEMENT FINANCIALLY BE IN THE FORM OF EXPORT CREDITS AND LOANS TO THE DEVELOPMENT?
AI WELL, OBVIOUSLY AT THIS STAGE THE DECISION IN PRINCIPLE TO PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT HAS ONLY BEEN TAKEN WITHIN THE, YOU KNOW, LAST TWENTY-FOUR HOURS HERE IN HONG KONG, AND OF COURSE THE DECISION AS TO THE NATURE OF THOSE WHO'LL BE INVOLVED IN THE CONTRACT AND DEVELOPMENT AND THE NATURE OF THE CONTRACT AND THE NATURE OF THE EXPORT CREDIT FACILITIES AND THE CREDIT FACILITIES, THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, ARE STILL TO BE NEGOTIATED AND SORTED OUT. BUT NATURALLY I WOULD VERY MUCH HOPE THAT GEC WILL HAVE A VERY SUBSTANTIAL AND IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS CONTRACT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY I CONSIDER THAT THEIR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE IN THIS SPHERE IS OF A NATURE THAT IT WILL MAKE THEM A VERY LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROJECT AND WOULD BE DELIGHTED IF THAT DOES TAKE PLACE AND HAPPEN. AND OBVIOUSLY IN TERMS OF ECGD ARRANGEMENTS AND FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS THEY'RE ALL MATTERS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE.
Q1 WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR ASSESSMENT OF RECENT INDUSTRY CRITICISMS OF CHINA IN RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR PROVISION OF RESCUE SERVICES AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA OIL EXPLORATION ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE GLOMAR CHINA SEA INCIDENT?
/A: WELL, OBVIOUSLY