TNAG-1499-FCO40-2057-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 215

GRS 180

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 1306

OF 02170OZ JULY 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PARIS

HLK 166/1

RECEIVEL

4 JUL 1986

CONFIDENTIAL

215F

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR

PARIS PERSONAL FOR R M WHITE

GUANGDONG NUCLEAR SAFETY: YAXLEY'S VISIT

WE HAVE SENT A SEPARATE TELEGRAM TO PARIS ABOUT YAXLEY'S ITINERARY, SUGGESTING ALTERNATIVES TO A VISIT TO ANTWERP.

1.

2.

FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, THE REASON FOR OUR RELUCTANCE NOW TO DIRECT HONG KONG ATTENTION TOWARDS THE PWR NEAR ANTWERP IS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THE UKAEA THAT THAT REACTOR HAS 'DOUBLE CONTAINMENT'. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN THOUGHT NECESSARY AT THE ANTWERP SITE BECAUSE THE REACTOR IS ONLY 8 KILOMETRES FROM THE CITY, AND MUCH NEARER THAN THAT TO THE AIRPORT: BUT THAT IT IS NOT CONSIDERED NECESSARY OR PRACTICABLE BUT WE IMAGINE FOR MOST PWRS, AND WOULD NOT BE SO AT DAYA BAY. THAT, IF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG LEARNED ABOUT THIS AT AN EARLY STAGE IN THEIR CONSIDERATION OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT, THEY MIGHT QUICKLY BECOME INDISSOLUBLY WEDDED TO THE IDEA OF DOUBLE CONTAINMENT FOR DAYA BAY. IT WOULD SEEM UNHELPFUL TO INTRODUCE

THIS COMPLICATION TO THE DEBATE.

HOWE

GUANGDONG

[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET]

LIMITED

HKD

FED

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

GUANGDONG NUCLEAR

PS

NED

TRED

PS/MR RENTON PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

PUSD(MR CROWLEY)

MR DAUNT

MR WILSON

CONFIDENTIAL

i