TNAG-1500-FCO40-2058-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 272

5. THE UMELCO'S BRIEFING REFERRED TO KN PARAGRAPH 4 ABOVE WAS FOLLOWED BY A LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING IN THE AFTERNOON. SPEAKING AFTER THE MEETING, MISS MARHA TAM, THE CONVENOR OF THE STANDING PANEL ON PUBLIC UTILITIES ANNOUNCED THAT TWO UMELCO TEAMS WOULD SPEND ABOUT DOLLARS 250,000 PUBLIC MONEY ON NUCLEAR FACT-F«I»ND«I»NG TRIPS TO U.S. AND EUROPE IN EARLY AUGUST. THESE DELEGATIONS WOULD ASSESS THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS IN SIMILAR PLANTS AND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM: CONSIDER FEASIBLE CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR DENSELY METROPOLITAN AREAS LOCATED 50 KM FROM SUCH PLANTS: AND OBTAIN INFORMATION AND ADVICE FROM INTERNAT- "IONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY AND OTHER RELEVANT AUTHORITIES ON MONITORING RADHATHON HAZARDS. THE CRITERIA FOR DELEGATHON MEMBERSHIP AND THE PROPOSED MEMBERSHIP LIST LATER TURNED OUT TO BE TARKTS OF ATTACK FOR SOME ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS. HAVE WRITTEN TO YOU SEPARATELY ON THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE FACT-FINDING DELEGAT-

ONS.

6. MR. YAXLEYS'S DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG ON 8 JULY WAS WIDELY REPORTED. THE MEDIA NOTED THAT MR. YAXLEY WOULD BE HAVING A 2-WEEK VISHT IN THE UK AND FRANCE WITH A VIEW TO OBTAINING FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CONTINGENCY MEASURES IN THESE TWO COUNTRIES. SEPARATELY, THE MEDIA ALSO NOTED THAT LEGCO WOULD BE HOLDING AN ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON DAYA BAY ON 16 JULY AND MORE THAN 20 UNOFFICIALS WERE GEARED UP TO SPEAK IN THE DEBATE.

7. THE MEDIA RECENTLY REPORTED TWO PROMISING WICE-PREMIERS. MR. Li PENG AND JHAN T YUN, WERE CONTESTING FOR THE PREMIERSHIP AND WERE USING A NUMBER OF ENERGY PROJECTS INCLUDING THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO PUT FORWARD THEIR DIFFERENT STANDS. IT WAS NOTED THAT MR. UN SUPPORTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PLANT WHILE MR. JAPAN WAS AGAINST FT. INDICATIONS OF THE RHIFT BECAME PUBLIC LAST WEEK WHEN THE LOCAL LEFT WING MAGAZINE, MIRROR, SUGGESTED IN AN EDITORIAL THAT CHINA MIGHT RECONSIDER RELOCAT PNG THE NUCLEAR PLANT AT DAYA BAY.

8. ** AM ARRANGING FOR A SUMMARY OF MEDIA REPORTS AND THE DISTRICT OFFICERS' WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORTS, BOTH COVERING THE PERIOD BETWEEN 3 AND 9 JULY, TO BE FAXED TO YOU AND PARIS.

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