TNAG-1499-FCO40-2057-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 191

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6. ON PEKING TELNO 1116, HAVE ACCEPTED THAT THE DECISION ON WHETHER TO GO AHEAD WITH DAYA BAY MUST LIE WITH THE CHINESE.

# HAVE HOWEVER ARGUED THAT WHEN THEY COME TO A DECISION THEY SHOULD DO SO IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WILL BE A HIGH POLITICAL COST MIN HONG KONG TO BE OFFSET AGAINST THE ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL FACTORS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ACCOUNT. THE AMBASSADOR HAS ADVISED THAT THE CHINESE MAY RAISE THE QUESTION OF DAYA BAY WITH ME WHEN VISIT PEKING IN AUGUST. IF THEY DO SO SHALL NOT HONESTLY BE ABLE TO HIDE FROM THEM THE STRENGTH OF HONG KONG OPINION ON THE ISSUE AND THE COST IN POLITICAL TERMS FOR GOING AHEAD. THAT HOWEVER IS TWO MONTHS AWAY AND BELIEVE THAT T WOULD BE PRUDENT TO CONVEY OUR ESTIMATE OF THE POLITICAL COST OF CONFIDENCE TO THEM LONG BEFORE THEN.

7. THERE IS ONE FURTHER POINT. THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS FROM PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE NORMALLY REGARDED AS CHINESE SPOKESMEN THAT THE FINAL CHINESE DECISION ON DAYA BAY HNS STILL OPEN AND H'S BEING REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF THE REACTION MEN HONG KONG TO CHERNOBYL. HT WOULD BE DISASTROUS FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO GET INTO THE POSITION OF SPEAKING IN FAVOUR OF THE PLANT ONLY TO FIND THE CHINESE LATER DESERTING THE FIELD.

8. N SHORT WE ARE WALKING A VERY NARROW PLANK. WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO GIVE THE CHINESE, THE FRENCH AND HMG, THE THREE GOVERNMENTS PRIMARILY INVOLVED IN BUILDING AND OPERATING THE PLANT, A FULL OPPORTUNITY TO REASSURE THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY ON ITS SAFETY AND ITS FUTURE OPERATION. IF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WERE, POST-CHERNOBYL, NOW TO BECOME THEIR SPOKESMEN IT WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE THE EFFECT OF TRIGGERING A FORMAL MOTION TO BE CONVEYED TO HMG THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD BE ASKED TO MOVE NT: AND THE RISK OF SUCH A MOTHON CANNOT IN ANY CASE BE ENTIRELY EXCLUDED.

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