TNAG-1502-FCO40-2060-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 139

CONFMIDENTAL

FM HONG KONG

TO #MMEDIATE FCO

CONFENTIAL

TELNO 2636

OF 150405Z AUGUST 86

UNFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

436

HILL_166/1 TOP CApy

RECEIVED IN.

INFO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG, DIN PARMIS,

15 AUG 1986

<113

CHINA: MEETNING WITH ZHOU NAN.

PEKING TELNO 1431--AND YOUR TELNOS 827 AND 828

नय

422

NUCLEAR SAFETY

THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE CHINESE ARE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING A

SHORT POSTPONEMENT (PARAGRAPH 5 OF TUR) HIS GOOD NEWS. WE STRONGLY

RECOMMEND THAT PEKHING CONTINUES TO COMMEND THIS TO THE CHINESE. AS

WE HAVE ALREADY SAND (PARAGRAPH 6 OF OUR TELNO 2579) THE LONGER

THE PERIOD BETWEEN PUBLICATION OF THE LEGCO REPORT AND THS SIGNING

THE BETTER FOR US ALL. AND THIS MOST CERTAINLY INCLUDES THE

CHINESE IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR HMAGE #IN HONG KONG.

412

2. MISS TAM ENVISAGES THAT THE LEGCO REPORT WHICH IS BEING PREPARED

IN THREE PARTS, EUROPE, USA, JAPAN, WILL BE READY FOR CONSIDERATHON AT AN IN-HOUSE MEETING OF LEGCO SOME THME ABOUT THE END OF THE

MONTH. THIS MEETING WILL CONSIDER WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE

REPORT AND IN PARTICULAR THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ITS PUBLICATION.

MISS TAM AND ALLEN LEE ARE BOTH SEIZED OF THE NEED FOR AN EARLY

PUBLIC RELEASE. OUR ASSESSMENT #'S THAT AN INTERVAL OF ANYTHING LESS

THAN THREE TO FOUR WEEKS BETWEEN PUBLICATION AND SIGNING WILL RESULT

IN EVEN GREATER AGITATHON AT THE TIME OF SIGNING. ALTHOUGH THERE IS

A GROWING RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE THAT THE CHINESE WILL PRESS

ON, THE SAME PEOPLE, INCLUDING LEGCO, WILL STALL ARGUE THAT IT IS

A PROVOCATIVE GESTURE FOR CONTRACTS TO BE SIGNED BEFORE ANY OF THE

**RECOMMENDATHONS'' REGARDING THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT

WHICH WE EXPECT TO APPEAR WITHER IMPLICITLY OR EXPLICITLY IN THE

LEGCO REPORT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO BE CONSIDERED BY THOSE CONCERNED.

NOTWITHSTANDING THE RELATIVE CHANGE IN PUBLIC ATTITUDES REPORTED

HIN OUR TELNO 2579 PUBLIC OPMUNION REMAINS UNSETTLED AND THE GENERAL

SITUATION VOLATILE.

3. HAVE MENTIONED THE POSSIBLE INVITATION TO PEKING. MISS TAM AND

ALLEN LEE'S REACTION WAS THAT THEY WOULD WELCOME THIS BUT IT

SHOULD TAKE PLACE AFTER THE REPORT IS MADE PUBLIC. THIS MAY BE

POSSIBLE IN EARLY SEPTEMBER AND WILL NEED TO BE FITTED INTO OTHER

ARRANGEMENTS WHICH 4NVOLVE THEM.

4. ZHOU NAN'S OBSERVATIONS AS REPORTED IN PARAGRAPH 7 OF TUR

WORRY US. MT WOULD BE WRONG TO OVEREMPHASISE THE POLITICIZATION OF

THE ISSUE. FROM NOW ON, FOR A FEW WEEKS, WE WILL, WITH CAREFUL

HANDLING MOVE INTO CLAMER WATERS THOUGH WITH INCREASED TENSHON

BELOW THE SURFACE AS CONTRACT SIGNING TIME APPROACHES. #T WOULD

BE QUITE THE WRONG TACTICS FOR HKG/BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO BEGIN,

NOW TO TAKE STEPS'' TO DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC OPPOSITION TO DAYA

CONFIDENTIAL

BAY