6. THE RETURN OF THE EUROPE-BOUND DELEGATION WAS GIVEN PROMINENT COVERAGE BY THE MEDIA. HIT WAS REPORTED THAT THE LEGCO DELEGATES FOUND THEIR MISSION A WORTHWHILE EXERCISE. THE DELEGATION HAD OBTAINED PLENTY OF INFORMATION ON THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT. INDEED, MOST OF THE 200 QUESTIONS THE DELEGATION BROUGHT WITH THEM TO EUROPE HAD BEEN ANSWERED AND THE FRENCH HAD PROMISED TO PROVIDE WRITTEN ANSWERS TO THE REMAINING QUESTIONS. MISS TAM STRESSED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE DELEGATION WAS TO #NVESTIGATE AND NOT TO MAKE A CONCLUSION''. SHE ENVISAGED THE REPORTS COMPILED BY HER TEAM AND THE DELEGATION TO THE UNITED STATES/JAPAN WOULD BE MADE PUBLIC IN SIX WEEKS' TIME. MEANWHILE, THE PRESS COMMENTARIES CONTINUED ARGUING WHETHER THE UMELCO DELEGATIONS WOULD SERVE A USEFUL PURPOSE. SOME PAPERS (*N PARTICULAR THE LEFT WING PRESS) COMMENDED THE UMELCO DELEGATIONS FOR MAKING AN OBJECTIVE INVESTIGATION, OTHERS (SUCH AS THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL AND MING PAO) MANTAMINED THAT THE LEGCO STUDY MISSIONS WERE PURELY A PUBLIC RELATIONS EXERCISE TO COUNTER
PUBLIC PRESSURE.
1.
THE UMELCO DELEGATION TO THE UNITED STATES/JAPAN, LED BY MR. ALLEN LEE, ALSO DOMINATED THE MEDIA DURING THE WEEK UNDER REVIEW. THE MEDIA REPORTED THAT THE DELEGATION HAD VISITED THE CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR PLANT IN MARYLAND AND TALKED TO THE RESIDENTS THERE. THE DELEGATES WERE TOLD THAT THE PLANT HAD SAVED ALMOST 30 BILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS IN FUEL COSTS DURING TS 11 YEARS OPERATION. MR. ALLEN LEE TOLD THE PRESS THAT HE WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE OPERATION, SECURITY AND SAFETY MEASURES AT CALVERT. IN THIS CONNECTION, MR. LEE CRITICISED DR. WALTER PATTERSON FOR MISLEADING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HINTO THINKING THAT SECURITY OF NUCLEAR PLANTS WAS POOR AND THEY COULD EASILY HAVE RADIATION LEAKS. MR. LEE WAS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE
US SAFETY STANDARDS SUGGESTED THAT NO EVACUATION PLAN WOULD BE
NEEDED FOR AREAS 16-80 KILOMETRES FROM A NUCLEAR PLANT. THERE WAS
HOWEVER A CONTINGENCY PLAN WICH INCLUDED ARRANGEMENTS PROTECTING
PEOPLE FROM CONTAMINATION OF FOOD AND WATER IN THE EVENT OF A
NUCLEAR ACCIDENT. TURNING TO THE TRIP TO JAPAN, THE MEDHA HIGH-
LIGHTED THAT A TOKYO ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED OFFICIAL TOLD THE
DELEGATION THAT NUCLEAR POWER WAS DIFFERENT FROM NUCLEAR BOMBS.
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE REALISED THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOP
NUCLEAR POWER MIN VIEW OF THE #NADEQUATE ENERGY SUPPLY.
8. THERE WERE CLEAR SIGNS THAT THE CHINESE HAD ADDED VENGOUR TO THER PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN. THERE WERE A LARGE NUMBER OF CNS REPORTS ON NUCLEAR SAFETY AND THE POSITIVE IMPRESSIONS GAINED BY THE UMELCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS. A BOOK CONTAINING A SERIES OF SPECIAL ARTICLES ON DAYA BAY HAD BEEN PUT ON SALE AT PRO-
CHINA BOOKSTORES AT A NOMINAL PRICE OF 2 HONG KONG DOLLARS. WHILE NCNA WAS BUSILY MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PROPOSED NUCLEAR
3 CONFIDENTIAL
/SAFETY
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