TNAG-1502-FCO40-2060-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 150

CONFIDENTIAL

7. THANKING HIM, ZHOU PING SAID THAT THE TWO SIDES SHOULD MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO COUNTER THE ANTI-NUCLEAR MOVEMENT. AS ZHOU NAN HAD TOLD THE AMBASSADOR, UNDUE PRESSURE FROM THE ANTI-NUCLEAR MOVEMENT WOULD NOT BE CONDUCIVE TO HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND

PROSPERITY. HIS OWN IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE UMELCO VISITS HAD BEEN

A GREAT SUCCESS. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN NOW WAS WHETHER

THEY COULD ACT FREE OF PRESSURE FROM THE ANTI-NUCLEAR ORGANISATIONS AND WRITE A FAIR REPORT. HE NOTED THAT SOME HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS

WERE STILL IMPOSING PRESSURE AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD ENSURE THAT UMELCO WERE ENABLED TO WRITE EXACTLY

WHAT THEY HAD SEEN. DAVIES RESPONDED TO THE LAST POINT BY EMPHA-

SISING THAT ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT NATURALLY HOPED THAT

THE UMELCO REPORT WOULD BE FAIR AND BALANCED, THIS WAS A VERY

DELICATE MATTER AND NEITHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT NOR THE HONG

KONG GOVERNMENT COULD BE SEEN TO BE EXERCISING ANY PRESSURE TO

STEER THE REPORT IN ANY PARTICULAR DIRECTION. ZHOU PING AGREED THAT UNDUE PRESSURE WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL, BUT UMELCO SHOULD NOT FEEL UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE ANTI-NUCLEAR MOVEMENT EITHER.

8. COMMENT:

ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A HINT IN ZHOU PING'S LATER REMARKS OF THE EARLIER CHINESE LINE, PARTICULARLY PURVEYED BY ZHOU NAN ON 9 AUGUST, THAT THE BRITISH SHOULD DOMEHOW BRING PRESSURE TO BEAR IN HONG KONG, THE GENERAL TENOR OF THIS MEETING WAS REASONABLY HELPFUL. WE MUST NOW AWAIT THE CHINESE REACTION TO OUR VARIOUS PROPOSALS AND QUESTIONS. MEANWHILE, WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT WE SHOULD SAY ABOUT THE TIMING OF ANY VISIT

BY UMELCO MEMBERS.

9. THE POLITICAL IMPORTANCE ATTACHED TO THIS ISSUE BY THE CHINESE WAS ONCE AGAIN EMPHASISED BY THE PRESENCE OF AN MFA REPRESENTATIVE

OF THE SENIORITY OF MEI ZHAORONG.

THOMSON

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