TNAG-1502-FCO40-2060-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 53

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

6. THE MEDIA EXPRESSED INTEREST N THE DEPARTURE OF A TEAM OF

HONG KONG OFFICIALS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM TO DISCUSS WITH THE

HARWELL CONSULTANTS THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE CONSULTANCY. HIT

WAS NOTED THAT THE TEAM COMPRISED MR. JOHN WILSON (REPRESENTING

ESB), MR. GRAHAM OSBORNE (EMSD) AND DR. M.C. WONG (RO). THE MAIN

PURPOSES OF THE DISCUSSIONS ARE TO FINALISE THE CONTENT OF THE

SECOND STAGE OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT AND TO DISCUSS HOW

THE EXTENT TO WHICH CONTINGENCY PLANNING MIGHT BE REQUIRED FOR HONG

KONG SHOULD BE DETERMINED. MR. OSBORNE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT

HE HOPED THE SECOND STAGE OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT STUDY WOULD

BE COMPLETED EARLIER THAN PLANNED AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD

ASK FOR THE REPORT TO BE WRITTEN IN A LANGUAGE THAT COULD BE

UNDERSTOOD BY THE PUBLIC.

7. A FEW NEWSPAPERS, INCLUDING SING TAO AND SOUTH CHINA MORNING

POST, REPORTED IN THEIR FRONT PAGES THAT MR. MARTIN LEE AND SOME

OTHER ELECTED LEGCO UNOFFICIALS WERE INDIGNANT THAT THE LEAKED

INFORMATION ON THE HARWELL CONSULTANCY HAD NOT BEEN MADE AVAILABLE

TO LEGCO. THEY ACCORDINGLY SOUGHT DISCLOSURE OF ALL CONFIDENTIAL

INFORMATION ON DAYA BAY INCLUDING THE LAZARD BROTHERS REPORTS,

THE HARWELL REPORTS AND THE CENSORED INFORMATION IN THE FEASIBILITY

STUDY REPORTS, THE INFORMATION COLLECTED BY SES IN HIS RECENT VISIT

TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AND FRANCE AND THE CURRENT DISCUSSIONS

BETWEEN THE HONG KONG OFFICALS AND HARWELL CONSULTANTS. THE

DISGRUNTLED COUNCILLORS WOULD START A COMPREHENSIVE LOBBYING

EFFORT TO GET SUPPORT FROM THEIR COLLEAGUES FOR A RESOLUTION TO

EXERCISE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) ORDINANCE

TO PRESS FOR THE RELEASE OF THE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. TO START

WITH, HE WOULD SEND A LETTER TO MISS LYDA DUNN AND MR. S.L. CHEN TO SEEK THEIR SUPPORT.

8. THERE WERE SIGNS THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WERE CONTINUING

WITH THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN. THE CNS PUBLISHED A LARGE

NUMBER OF REASSURING REPORTS ON NUCLEAR SAFETY. AMID THESE

CNS REPORTS, JIANG XINXIONG, THE MINISTER OF NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY WAS REPORTED TO HAVE TOLD THE SOCIETY OF HONG KONG SCHOLARS THAT

CHINA WAS AWARE THAT THE EARLIER FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT WAS

NOT COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH ON SAFETY ASPECTS AND WAS PREPARING A MORE

DETAILED REPORT. THE PRESIDENT OF HONG KONG SWEDISH TRADE

ASSOCIATION WAS ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT DAYA BAY WOULD NOT

DETER SWEDISH INVESTMENTS IN HONG KONG, AS THERE WERE 12 NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN SWEDEN AND SWEDES WERE NOW FAMILIAR WITH NUCLEAR

ENERGY. MEANWHILE NCNA HAD ARRANGED VISITS TO DAYA BAY FOR THE

COMMUNITY LEADERS (SEE THE WEEKLY INFORMATIONS REPORTS REFERRED TO IN PARA. 9 BELOW). THE ORIENTAL DAILY NOTED THAT A GROUP OF 37 SHATIN DB MEMBERS AND CONCERNED PEOPLE VISITED DAYA BAY AND WOULD

HOLD A FORUM AND EXHIBITION AT SHATIN PLAZA ON 14 SEPTEMBER.

SOME PAPERS NOTED THAT THE FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS HAD VISITED DAYA BAY AND HAD SET UP A CONCERNED GROUP. ONE OF THE NCNA OFFICIPALS ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT AN EXHIBITION WOULD BE MOUNTED IN HONG KONG NEXT MONTH (A SEPARATE REPORT ON THE EXHIBITION WILL FOLLOW).

-3-CONFIDENTIAL

19.

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