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HK TEAM VISITS DAYA BAY SITE
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1983
A TEAM OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LED BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR PIERS JACOBS, RETURNED TO HONG KONG AFTER A TWO-DAY VISIT TO GUANGDONG WHERE THEY HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA'S VICE MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES AND ELECTRIC POWER, MR PENG SHI LU, ABOUT THE NUCLEAR POWER STATION IN GUANGDONG AND VISITED THE SITE OF THE PROJECT AT DAYA BAY.
THIS WAS THE FIRST CONTACT BETWEEN OFFICIALS OF THE TWO SIDES SINCE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ITS WILLINGNESS TO ENDOR SE A SUITABLE OFFTAKE AGREEMENT AND SINCE THE FORMATION OF HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY.
COMMENTING ON THE VISIT, MR JACOBS SAID HE WAS VERY PLEASED TO HAVE MET MR PENG AND HIS TEAM AND THAT THE DISCUSSIONS WERE RELAXED AND FRIENDLY. DURING THE MEETING IT WAS AGREED THAT LIAISON SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS ON THE CHINESE SIDE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RADIATION MONITORING FACILITIES.
+VICE MINISTER PENG SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE CONCERN OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ABOUT SAFETY AND REAFFIRMED THAT THE STATION WOULD BE BUILT TO THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, HE SAID.
MR JACOBS SAID DISCUSSIONS WOULD CONTINUE BETWEEN CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY AND THE GUANGDONG GENERAL POWER COMPANY AND IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THE JOINT VENTURE COMPANY WHICH WOULD BUILD AND OPERATE THE STATION WOULD BE FORMED EARLY NEXT YEAR.
THE VISIT WAS AT THE INVITATION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE OF THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION, MR SHEN JIAN SHENG, WHO CONDUCTED MR JACOBS AND HIS COLLEAGUES ON A TOUR OF THE SITE. MR JACOBS WAS GIVEN A FULL BRIEFING ON - VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO
THE CHOICE OF THE SITE.
+WE WERE TOLD THAT, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF EXPERTS FROM SEVERAL COUNTRIES, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAD LOOKED AT ABOUT A DOZEN SITES BEFORE DECIDING ON DAYA BAY. THE SITE WAS CHOSEN AS IT IS IN A STABLE ZONE, IS BY DEEP WATER WHICH PROVIDES THE NECESSARY COOLANT AND FACES A MOUNTAIN RANGE OF ABOUT 800 METRES WITH A WIND FACTOR WHICH WILL KEEP EMISSIONS AWAY FROM BOTH SHENZHEN AND HONG KONG, MR JACOBS EXPLAINED.
IN ADDITION, THE SITE IS OVER 50 KILOMETRES FROM HONG KONG WHICH IS COMFORTABLY IN EXCESS OF INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE.
+IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE TAKEN HONG KONG'S INTERESTS VERY MUCH INTO ACCOUNT BEFORE ARRIVING AT THEIR FINAL CHOICE, HE SAID.
MR JACOBS EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO THE CHINESE OFFICIALS FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY AND FOR DEMONSTRATING THE RESULTS OF THE SEVERAL YEARS OF PREPARATORY WORK WHICH HAD GONE INTO THE PROJECT.
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