TNAG-1503-FCO40-2061-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 107

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5. ZHOU NAN THANKED ME FOR THIS EXPLANATION. HE NOW UNDERSTOOD

MUCH BETTER THE MECHANISMS IN PLAY. WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD

CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE DURING MY CALL ON JI PENGFEI.

6. DURING MY CALL LATER THAT EVENING ON JI PENGFE, JI FIRST MADE

SOME GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT DAYA BAY:

(A) IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A 100% SAFETY GUARANTEE WITH ANY

NUCLEAR INSTALLATION. HOWEVER THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN

INTO CONSIDERATION THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AND HAD MADE EVERY

ATTEMPT TO ENSURE SAFETY. THEY INTENDED TO ACT IN A RESPONSIBLE

MANNER AND TO MAKE CLEAR TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT THEY WERE

TAKING THIS RESPONSIBILITY

(B) JI SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD READ THE REPORTS AND OBSERVATIONS

OF THE LEGCO MEMBERS WHO HAD VISITED THE USA, JAPAN AND FRANCE. HE THOUGHT THEY WERE VERY WELL WRITTEN.,

(C) ALTHOUGH HE UNDERSTOOD THE CONCERN OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, IT WAS

NOT RATIONAL THAT, BECAUSE OF AN INCIDENT IN THE USSR, WE SHOULD

NOW SHELVE THE BUILDING OF ANY MORE NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS. THE DAYA BAY STATION HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR ALONG TIME. THE ORIGINAL SITE

HAD BEEN MIRS BAY BUT THIS WAS CONSIDERED TOO CLOSE TO HONG KONG

SO THE CHINESE HAD RESITED IT FURTHER AWAY. HE CONSIDERED THAT

PEOPLE'S VIEWS WERE BASED ON A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION ABOUT

NUCLEAR POWER. IT WAS UP TO THE GOVERNMENT TO EDUCATE THEM AND REASSURE THEM.,

(D) THE DETERMINATION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE

PROJECT WAS UNCHANGED. THE CONTRACT WOULD BE SIGNED NOT LATER THAN 25 SEPTEMBER, THEN APPROVED AND BROUGHT INTO EFFECT BY 7 OCTOBER.,

(E) HE HOPED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD JOIN THE CHINESE IN THEIR EFFORTS TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION TO THE PUBLIC.

7. 1 REPEATED THE POINTS I HAD MADE TO ZHOU NAN ABOUT THE GENUINE CONCERN IN HONG KONG ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER. AGREED WITH JI THAT THE LEGCO MISSIONS HAD PRODUCED VERY GOOD REPORTS. PEOPLE'S ANXIETY WOULD CONTINUE BECAUSE THEY HAD STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO EXPLAIN THAT EVERY EFFORT WOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THE STATION WAS BUILT AND OPERATED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WAS THE INTENTION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. WE WERE ENCOURAGED THAT THEY WERE READY TO DISCUSS WITH THE TWO LEGCO MISSIONS THE OBSERVATIONS THEY HAD MADE.

8. I SAID THAT WE HAD JUST HEARD FROM HONG KONG (6TH TUR) THAT IT

HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT THE LEGCO DELEGATION HAD BEEN INVITED TO VISIT PEKING ON 18 SEPTEMBER. ZHOU NAN INTERJECTED THAT IF WE WANTED THE DELEGATION TO VISIT ON THE EARLIER DATES OF 15-18 SEPTEMBER WE SHOULD ASK LEGCO TO TAKE THIS UP WITH NCNA. HE THOUGH IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CHANGE. I THANKED ZHOU AND REPEATED THE REASONS WHY AN EARLIER DATE WAS PREFERABLE.

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