TNAG-1498-FCO40-2056-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 56

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WAY MEANS THAT OVER THE TIMEFRAME OF THE PROJECT THE CHINESE

WOULD NOT DEVELOP THE SKILLS AND EXPERTISE IN COMBINATION WITH THE JVC, AND UNDER CONTINUING PRESSURE FROM EDF, BUT THAT CURRENTLY IT IS DIFFICULT TO PRESENT THIS IN ABSOLUTE

TERMS.

4 THE NEXT STEP ENVISAGED WOULD BE A JOINT APPROACH IN PEKING, PREFERABLY TO LI PENG DIRECT, PUTTING FORWARD A PR SCENARIO BASICALLY AS OUTLINED IN TELNO 1936, WITH THE COMMON MESSAGE THAT TO CARRY CONVICTION THIS PROGRAMME DOES REQUIRE THE FULLEST PARTICIPATION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AND IN PARTICULAR THE LONGER TERM PROBLEM. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THE OUTLINES OF THIS WILL BE PUT TO THE FRENCH ON FRIDAY FOLLOWING A REVIEW MEETING IN LONDON, WITH COPIES TO

YOURSELF AND PEKING FOR COMMENT.

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MEANWHILE, FRAMATOME HAVE INFORMED US THAT THEIR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE IS BEING INVITED TO TAKE PART IN A HONG KONG

TELEVISION PROGRAMME WHERE HE WOULD BE ASKED ABOUT FRAMATOME'S

SAFETY DESIGN AND INTEGRITY APPROACH. THE PARIS FRAMATOME

VIEW IS THAT THEIR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE IS A VERY CAPABLE ENGINEER AND CHINA-SPEAKER, BUT HE IS NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO CONFRONT MEDIA QUESTIONS ON A VERY SENSITIVE TOPIC.

6 THEY ARE PROPOSING TO ADVISE THEIR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE

TO TAKE THE LINE THAT TECHNICAL ISSUES ARE PRIMARILY FOR THE

JOINT VENTURE TO HANDLE (THE JVC DOES INDEED HAVE INDIVIDUALS

WHO MIGHT BE BETTER ABLE TO COPE WITH THIS FORM OF QUESTIONING

SUCH AS EDF STAFF), BUT THEN TO ADD THAT FRAMATOME WOULD BE VERY PLEASED TO GIVE THE LOCAL MEDIA AN EXPOSITION IN FRANCE

AT WHICH ALL TECHNICAL QUESTIONS COULD BE RESOLVED. IN

OTHER WORDS THIS SECOND RESPONSE WOULD BE A PRECURSOR TO

THE FORMAL APPROACH ENVISAGED BY EDF TO MS TAM. FRAMATOME'S

WORRY IS THAT THIS RESPONSE ITSELF MIGHT HOWEVER BE SOMEWHAT

PROVOCATIVE TO MS TAM'S GROUP. THEY WOULD WELCOME ANY

ADVICE ON HOW THEY SHOULD ADVISE THEIR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE

TO DEAL WITH THIS APPROACH.

7 ONE OF THE SOUTH CHINA PERIODICALS IS DUE TO BE RUNNING A

SERIES OF ARTICLES ON FRANCE IN A SPECIAL EDITION ON 14 JULY,

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CONFIDENTIAL