CONFIDENTIAL
(C) THE CHINESE HAD ADOPTED MEASURES TO ENSURE SAFETY AND WOULD
CONTINUE TO DO SO.
(D) DAYA BAY CONTRIBUTED TO STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG. IT INVOLVED THE MUTUAL INTERESTS OF BOTH SIDES. WE HAD A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALLAYING ANXIETY. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ADOPTED MEASURES TO DO SO. IT APPRECIATED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD ALSO
DONE SO AND WAS CONFIDENT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO.
(E) ZHOU NAN SAID HE HIMSELF HAD NOT YET HAD TIME TO READ THE LEGCO REPORT. BUT THE DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED WOULD GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO IT. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY ADOPTED THE SUGGESTION THAT LEGCO MEMBERS SHOULD BE INVITED TO CHINA: AN
INVITATION IN THE NAME OF NCNA HONG KONG WOULD ISSUE SOON FOR A
VISIT FOR 3 DAYS BEGINNING ON 18 SEPTEMBER.
3. ON THE TIMING OF THE SIGNATURE OF CONTRCTS, ZHOU NAN SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD CONSIDERED CAREFULLY THE AMBASSADOR'S DEMARCHE. THE TIMING COULD BE POSTPONED. HOWEVER THE CONTRACTS HAD TO COME INTO EFECT ON 7 OCTOBER AND THERE HAD TO BE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO ENDORSE THEM BEFORE THEN. THE LATEST DATE FOR
SIGNATURE WAS THEREFORE 25 SEPTEMBER. ZHOU NAN ADDED THAT ANOTHER
REASON FOR THIS DEADLINE WS THAT LI PENG WAS LEAVING CHINA TO VISIT
SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES ON 26 SEPTEMBER (THIS WAS STRICTLY FOR OUR
INFORMATION ONLY). I THANKED ZHOU FOR THIS FLEXIBILITY. THIS WOULD
GIVE THE LEGCO MEMBERS TIME TO RETURN TO HONG KONG AND REPORT ON
THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT BEFORE SIGNATURE OF
THE CONTRACT.
4. DISCUSSION OF THIS TOPIC WAS THEN CONTINUED OVER LUNCH, AT WHICH
I HANDED ZHOU A DRAFT TEXT OF WHAT I MIGHT SAY ON MY RETURN TO
HONG KONG. (SHOU LATER COMMENTED THAT THE DRAFT STATEMENT I HAD
HANDED HIM REFERRED TO CHINESE COMMITMENTS BUT NONE BY THE HKG.
HE PROPOSED WE EITHER DELETE PARA 1 OR INCORPORATE SOME REFERENCE HKG'S COMMITMENTS I UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER). I EXPLAINED THAT LEGCO
WERE MEETING ON 3 SEPTEMBER TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE A
SPECIAL DEBATE ON DAYA BAY. WE WOULD NOT KNOW UNTIL THEN WHETHER A
DEBATE WOULD TAKE PLACE: SOME MEMBERS WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY WANT
ANOTHER CHANCE TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN BUT OTHERS MIGHT ARGUE
AGAINST. IN MY OPINION THE FACTS THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD
CONFIRMED THEIR INTENTION TO GO AHEAD WITH THE PROJECT AND HAD
EXTENDED AN INVITATION TO THE LEGCO MISSION WOULD MAKE THE NATURE.
OF THE DEBATE, IF IT TOOK PLACE, VERY DIFFERENT. I CONSIDERED THAT MEMBERS WOULD NOW WISH TO CONENTRATE ON THE SAFETY ASPECTS. I THEN
SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE INVITATION WOULD BE
EXTENDED FOR THE PERIOD 15-18 SEPTEMBER. CERTAINLY THIS WOULD BE
PREFERABLE SINCE IT WOULD GIVE MORE TIME FOR LEGCO MEMBERS TO REPORT
THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE.
-2
CONFIDENTIAL
15.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.