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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983
Q: WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING WITH THE LEADERS IN CHINA ABOUT DAYA BAY PLAN WERE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS? IN OTHER WORDS EXPORT CREDITS OR SOME OTHER KIND OF LOAN OR LOAN GUARANTEES?
A: NO, THERE WAS NO SUCH DISCUSSION AT ALL OF THAT DESCRIPTION AND THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS OF THAT DESCRIPTION AND THE POSITION IN THE DISCUSSIONS HAD ON THIS PROJECT IT WAS PURELY THE EXPRESSION BY THE CHINESE MINISTERS THAT THEY CONSIDERED IT, IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT, IT HAD A HIGH PRIORITY AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED AND THEY HOPED THAT IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MADE A POSITIVE DECISION IN THIS SPHERE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE CONTRACT AND THE DETAIL WITH THOSE PARTIES THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED CAN QUICKLY TAKE PLACE. BUT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF ANY DESCRIPTION UPON FINANCIAL TERMS OR THE ROLE OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT OR ANYTHING OF THAT DESCRIPTION, JUST THE EXPRESSION THAT IN THEIR VIEW IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT AND ONE WHICH THEY PUT A HIGH PRIORITY TO. AND IT IS FOR THEM A REGION WHERE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENERGY ARE VERY CONSIDERABLE AND, THEREFORE, THEY WERE PUTTING THE VIEW THAT THEY HOPED THAT HONG KONG WOULD MAKE A POSITIVE RESPONSE AND IF HONG KONG DID MAKE A POSITIVE RESPONSE THEY HOPED THE DETAILED NEGOTIATION WOULD QUICKLY TAKE PLACE.
Q: GIVEN THE SENSE OF URGENCY THAT THEY EXPRESSED ABOUT MOVING ON WITH IT AND SINCE THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG HAS MADE A DECISION, WHEN IS IT LIKELY THAT THERE WOULD BE CONTRACTS AS TO THE TURBINE GENERATORS AND SUCH?
AI OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T VENTURE A GUESS AS TO THE SPEED WITH WHICH THOSE CONCERNED WILL ENTER THE CONTRACTS AND DECIDE ON THE CONTRACTS, THAT WILL BE A MATTER FOR THEM, THEY ARE THE CUSTOMERS AND IT'S NOT IN MY CONTROL. 1 CAN ONLY SAY THAT I THINK AS FAR AS ANY BRITISH FIRMS THAT ARE HOPING AND WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT CONTRACT CERTAINLY THEY WOULD NEGOTIATE SPEEDILY AND I HOPE EFFECTIVELY AND SUCCESSFULLY.
QI IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE LEADERS ON CHINA'S NUCLEAR PROGRAMME WERE THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS AS TO SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF PLANTS PROPOSED OR LOCATIONS FOR THOSE PLANTS OTHER THAN THE DAYA BAY?
A: NO, THERE WERE NO SUCH DISCUSSIONS.
Q:
DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THE DAYA BAY PROJECT EVER SURFACED AS A BARGAINING POINT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG?
A1 NO, I MEAN, I SAY, OBVIOUSLY I HAVEN'T ATTENDED EVERY DISCUSSION BUT I DO KNOW THAT IN THE DISCUSSIONS I HAD WITH ALL THE MINISTERS CONCERNED THIS WAS NOT A FACTOR THAT WAS MENTIONED AT ANY STAGE BY ANY PERSON SO QUITE CLEARLY IT WASN'T A FACTOR.
Q: YOU MENTIONED THAT HONG KONG WOULD HAVE A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY IN CHINA'S OFFSHORE OIL SEARCH. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE ACTUAL ROLE THAT HONG KONG MIGHT PLAY.
/A: WELL, I
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