TNAG-1499-FCO40-2057-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 161

AND THAT CHINA WOULD GO AHEAD WITH THE PROJECT EVEN IF HONG KONG DND NOT BUY ELECTRICITY FROM THE PLANT. MR. XU JHATHAN'S STATEMENT THAT HE HAD BEEN REPORTING HONG KONG PEOPLE'S CONCERNS TO THE

STATE COUNCIL ON A DAILY BASHS WAS ALSO EXTENSIVELY REPORTED. AS REPORTED IN MY TELNO. 2144, SCMP HAD SUGGESTED THAT A JOINT GROUP COMPRISING MAJINLAND AND HK MEMBERS SHOULD BE SET UP TO MONITOR THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION. SCMPT BELIEVED THAT CHINA WOULD PROBABLY AGREE TO THE FORMATION OF

SUCH A JOINT GROUP.

5. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD MANAGED TO IMPRESS THE PUBLIC THAT WE WERE DOING OUR BEST TO ALLAY PUBLIC FEARS. OUR PRESS RELEASE OF 26 JUNE (WHICH WAS THE SUBJECT OF MY TELNO. 1972), MR. YAXLEY'S IMPENDING WISANT TO THE UK AND ANTWERP AND THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOING WHAT IT SHOULD WIN

ENSURING THAT PUBLIC OBTAINING THE BEST INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT, WERE EXTENSIVELY REPORTED. 4T SEEMED THAT THE PUBLIC HAD GOT THE MESSAGE THAT THE DAYA BAY PROJECT WAS PRIMARILY A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. THERE WAS HOWEVER STILL PRESSURE ON THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE.

6. A NUMBER OF DISTRICT BOARDS INCLUDING TALI PO, WONG TAIN SHN AND. TSUEN WAN HAD PUBLICLY VOICED THEIR CONCERN OVER THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT. THE FEEDBACK COLLATED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICES INDICATED THAT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS CONSIDERED T ESSENTIAL THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THE CHINA LENGHT AND POWER CO. LTD AND THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES SHOULD RELEASE AS MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE POWER PLANT AS POSSIBLE, AND THE SOONER THE BETTER. NOTHING THAT MING PAO WAS OPENLY AGAINST THE PROJECT, SOME LOCAL LEADERS SUSPECTED THAT DENG XIAOPING PERSONALLY DID NOT SUPPORT THE PROJECT THOUGH MR. LI PENG WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE THANS

TO GO AHEAD.

7. AM ARRANGING FOR A SUMMARY, OF MEDIA REPORTS AND THE DISTRICT OFFICERS' WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORTS, BOTH COVERING THE PERIOD BETWEEN 26 JUNE AND 2 JULY, TO BE FAXED TO YOU. SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE FAXED TO PARIS AND PEKING AS WELL IF THEY ADVISE ME OF

THEIR FACSALLE CODES.

YOUDE

GUANGDONG

LIMITED

HKD

FED

NED

TRED

PUSD(MR CROWLEY)

THIS TELEGRAM WAS NOT

ADVANCED

[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET]

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

GUANGDONG NUCLEAR

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

COPIES TO:

SIR W HARDING

MR DAUNT

MR WILSON

HONG KONG GOVT. OFFICE,

-2 CONFIDENTIAL

LONDOI