XN000022-1986-10-15 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986

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+IT MUST ALSO BE REMEMBERED THAT THE CHINESE HAVE ON MANY OCCASIONS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY INTENDED TO PROCEED WITH THE POWER STATION WITH OR WITHOUT HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION.

+SURELY IT IS BETTER FOR HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE THAN BE LEFT OUT WITH NO INFLUENCE WHATEVER OVER THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATION AND ITS SUBSEQUENT OPERATION. +

HE REMINDED MEMBERS THAT WITH TWO DIRECTORS ON THE BOARD OF THE HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSTANTLY IN TOUCH WITH THE COMPANY AND HAD A CONTINUING INFLUENCE IN THE PROJECT.

MR JACOBS SAID THAT NO ISSUE, OTHER THAN THE AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, HAD BEEN DISCUSSED SO EXHAUSTIVELY IN PUBLIC.

IN ADDITION TO DEBATE, QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS IN THE COUNCIL, SENIOR GOVERNMENT AND COMPANY OFFICIALS HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS PRESS CONFERENCES, AND BRIEFINGS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THE OMELCO PUBLIC UTILITIES PANEL HAD ALSO GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO KEEP THE MEDIA AND PUBLIC INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENT AND THEIR OWN DISCUSSIONS WITH KEY OFFICIALS.

THE ISSUE HAD BEEN FREQUENTLY AIRED AT SEMINARS AND OTHER PUBLIC FORUMS, ALL OF WHICH HAD BEEN GIVEN SATURATION COVERAGE BY THE MEDIA.

MR JACOBS SAID THERE WAS A WIDE RANGE OF OPINION REGARDING THE MATTER. SOME WERE AGAINST ALL NUCLEAR POWER AND WOULD NOT BE CONVINCED BY ANY ARGUMENT TO THE CONTRARY.

HE URGED ALL CONCERNED TO LOOK AT THE ISSUES ON THEIR MERITS AND ACCEPT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD DONE ALL IN ITS POWER TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT WAS AS SAFE AS IT COULD POSSIBLY BE MADE AND THAT HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION WAS JUSTIFIED ON ECONOMIC GROUNDS.

+WE BELIEVE THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CONCLUDED DO INDEED SUFFICIENTLY SAFEGUARD THE LONG-TERM INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, + HE SAID.

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