TNAG-0950-FCO40-1169-Effect-of-nuclear-exports-to-China-on-Hong-Kong-Guangdong-nu-1980 — Page 241

CONFIDENTIAL

Management Support

This is an extremely tricky issue because it would require the provision of personnel from UKAEA/CEGB, and this is a point which concerns the Department of Energy who are worried lest personnel are diverted to Hong Kong from the UK nuclear programme.

5 Timing The next meeting of the Executive Committee is at the end of August and KEC will expect a report following Sir Lawrence's discussions with Ministers. The issues posed above will however need to be discussed further by officials before clear proposals can be put to Ministers. We would aim to do this in early September so that a preliminary Govern- ment view can be reached before the Foreign Secretary visits Hong Kong and Peking at the end of that month and before the October meeting of the Executive Committee.

6

Meanwhile I have written to Sir Lawrence Kadoorie in terms reflecting the generally encouraging remarks made to him by the Prime Minister but at the same time pointing out that decisionsstill have to be made by the Government on the difficult issues discussed above.

ikum

A G MANZIE

7 August 1980

CONFIDENTIAL

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