GRS 1200
Confidential
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 2212002 FCO
TELNO 1307
OF 2207492 JULY 86
369
AKC. 166.
333
22 JUL 1965
心
NUCLEAR SAFETY.
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, PARTS”
INFO ROUTINE UKAUS VIENNA
268
200
MY TELNO.124A AND PCO TELNO 717
CHINA:
1. I WAS CALLED TO A MEETING ON 22 JULY WITH ZHOU PING, VICE-
MINISTER OF THE PUCLEAR INDUSTRY, WHO WAS PRESENT WHEN I CALLED
ON LI PEMG. DAVIES AND CALDER ACCOMPAINED ME.
2. ZHOU PING, READING FROM A PREPARED TEXT, SAID THAT HE WISHED TO
CONTINUE THE DISCUSSIONS I HAD BEGUN WITH LI PENG ON 14 JULY ON HOW
BEST TO COMBAT CONCERN IN HONG KONG WITH REGARD TO DAYA BAY NUCLEAR
POWER STATION. REFERRING TO OUR SUGGESTION AT THE FREVIOUS MEETING
THAT THE THREE COVERNMENTS SHOULD JOINTLY CONSIDER WHAT INFORMATION
TO MAKE PUBLIC ABOUT THE PROJECT, HE SAID HE WAS NOW UNDER INSTRUCT-
ICNS FROM THE VICE-PREMIER TO SAY THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT APPR-
ECIATED OUR SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION ON THE PROJECT AND WAS GRATEFUL
FOR OUR EFFORTS AND THOSE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND TOOK NOTE
OF OUR PROPOSALS.
3. THE POSITION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WITH RECARD TO CONSTRUC-
TION OF DAYA BAY WAS FIRM AND FIXED AND WOULD NOT (REPEAT) NOT
CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. ANY CONTRARY ASSERTION WAS QUITE GROUNDLESS.
THE GOVERNMENTS' POSITION HAD BEEN RESTATED IN SPEECHES MADE BY HU
YAOBANG AND LI PENG, AND BY THE MINISTER OF THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY TO
THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLES CONGRESO. HOWEVER,
AS THE RISK OF AN ACCIDENT COULD NOT BE COMPLETELY DISCOUNTED,
PARTICULARLY SINCE CHERNOBYL, CHINA WAS DETERMINED TO ADHERE TO
THE PRINCIPLE OF ACCORDING FIRST PRIORITY TO SAFETY AND QUALITY AT
EVERY STAGE OF CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION TO ENSURE THE CONTINUING
GAFETY OF THE PLANT.
4. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SAW THE DAYA BAY PROJECT AS THE LARGEST
SINGLE EXAMPLE OF SING-BRITISH ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION. ITS SUCCESS-
FUL COMPLETION WOULD HAVE IMPORTANT CONSEQUENCIES FOR THE LONG
TERM DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND ALSO FOR THE PROS-
PERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG. THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SHARES
IN THE JOINT VENTURE WERE NOT EQUAL. BUT IN VIEW OF ITS NATURE AS
A JOINT VENTURE ITS IMPORTANCE TO OUR RELATIONS, BRITAIN'S RESPON-
SIBILITIES UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF
HONG KONG DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, AND THE OPPOSITION NOW
BEING EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG, BRITAIN AND CHINA SHARED THE RESPON-
SIBILITY FOR MEASURE TO ALLAY PUBLIC CONCERN SO AS TO BRING ABOUT
THE SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT.
Confidential
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