TNAG-1497-FCO40-2055-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 97

GRS 520

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 909.

OF 290OO9Z MAY 86

НСК

160/1

AM DISTRIBUTION BOYS

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

INDEX

986

TC K

12

118 A

169

Saide Talam

Fec 026/1

RECEIVED IN REG.STRY

C 2 JUN 1986

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

10246

MY TELNO.841 AND YOUR TELNO.473 (NOT TO HONG KONG)

HU YAOBANG.

THE MEETING BETWEEN HU YAOBANG AND THE FOUR AMBASSADORS YESTERDAY EVENING WAS IN THE ROOM IN THE ZHONGNANHA: IN WHICH HE MET THE PRIME MINISTER IN DECEMBER 1984. AFTER INTRODUCING THE MEMBERS OF HIS PARTY, AND THANKING THE AMBASSADORS FOR THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR HIS TOUR, HU INVITED THE LATTER TO SPEAK. WE EACH SPOKE FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES (THE FRENCHMAN FIRST), SAYING HOW OUR GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO HU'S VISIT AND GIVING OUR ASSESSMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES AND CHINA. NOTHING REMARKABLE WAS SAID EXCEPT BY THE ITALIAN, WHO ASKED FOR CHINA TO RECONSIDER' HER RELATIONS WITH THE VATICAN. HE SAID THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE VATICAN WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ISOLATION OF TAIWAN'' AND CAUSE 7 OR 8 COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICAN TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS TOO. THIS CLEARLY ARRITATED HU.

2. AT THE DINNER AFTERWARDS, HU AND THE MEMBERS OF HIS PARTY WERE RANGED ON ONE SIDE OF A LONG TABLE AND THE FOUR AMBASSADORS, WITH A FEW FAIRLY JUNIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS, ON THE OTHER. THE DINNER WAS IN WESTERN STYLE (EXCEPT THAT BEER WAS OFFERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ALL KINDS OF WINE, INCLUDING CHAMPAGNE). THE CONVERSATION WAS GENERAL THROUGHOUT. T CHIEFLY CONCERNED TERRORISM AND CIVIL

NUCLEAR POWER.

3. ON TERRORISM, HU SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS TALKING THE PROBLEM VERY SERIOUSLY. BUT IT HAD NEVER RESORTED TO TERRORISM ITSELF, NOR HAD THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY BEFORE IT HAD ACHIEVED STATE POWER. THE ROOTS OF TERRORISM LAY IN SOCIAL CONDITIONS. T FOLLOWED THAT POLICE METHODS'' ALONE WOULD NEVER BE ADEQUATE

TO ELIMINATE TERRORISM.

4. ON NUCLEAR POWER, HU SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS GIVING FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION TO KOHL'S RECENT INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN A CONFERENCE ON SAFETY. LI PENG SAID THAT CHINA'S CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAMME WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY CHERNOBYL. HE HAD JUST VISITED DAYA BAY. WORK WAS GOING FORWARD ACCORDING TO PLAN. HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MY ASSESSMENT OF SENTIMENT IN THE UK AND HONG KONG IN

THE AFTERMATH OF CHERNOBYL.

| CONFIDENTIAL

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