TNAG-1497-FCO40-2055-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 9

OCMIAN 3140

CONFIDENTIAL

OO HOKON

PP HKBTC

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

121630Z JUN

GRS 517

CONFIDENTIAL

HICK 166/1

18 JUN 1986

CONFIDENTIAL

152

TOP SOPY

43140 - 1

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1124

OF 121630Z JUNE 86

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, PARIS, BTC HONG KONG

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD

YOUR TELNO 1819 (NOT TO ALL): NUCLEAR SAFETY: CHINA

1.

THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF DAYA BAY WERE RAISED AT VARIOUS

TIMES DURING HU'S VISIT, WHICH ENDED ONLY THIS MORNING.

2.

IN HER MEETING WITH HU, THE PRIME MINISTER STRESSED THE

IMPORTANCE OF REASSURING PEOPLE'S FEARS IN HONG KONG. HU SAID

THAT CHINA FOR ITS PART WOULD DO WHAT IT COULD IN THE WAY OF

PERSUASION AND EXPLANATION. LI PENG SAID THAT, IN THE WAKE OF

CHERNOBYL, PEOPLE HAD DOUBTS AND APPREHENSIONS ABOUT CIVIL

NUCLEAR POWER AND SOME WANTED TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND THE GUANGDONG

PROJECT. THE CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY FACED MANY

DIFFICULTIES. HE HOPED THAT BOTH GOVERNMENTS, BRITAIN AND CHINA,

WOULD HELP THE COMPANY OVERCOME THIS DIFFICULT PERIOD SO THAT

THE PROJECT WOULD NOT BE SUSPENDED.

3.

MR RENTON RAISED THE SUBJECT WITH ZHOU NAN, WHO SAID THAT

THE CHINESE WOULD DO ALL THEY COULD TO REASSURE HONG KONG OPINION

AND SUGGESTED THAT UK AND CHINA COULD UNDERTAKE THIS TASK

TOGETHER.

4.

LI PENG SAID TO MR CHANNON THAT HE DID NOT WANT CHINA'S

NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAMME TO BE DISRUPTED BY CHERNOBYL. HE

1

CONFIDENTIAL