CONFIDENTIAL
58961
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CHINA TO FOLLOW SUIT. CAUSE FOR SATISFACTION THAT THEY HAVE
DECIDED TO DO SO IN ASSOCIATION WITH WESTERN COUNTRIES WITH LONG
EXPERIENCE, EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORDS, RATHER THAN USING OTHER
MODELS OR TRYING TO GO IT ENTIRELY ALONE. IN ALL OUR INTERESTS
TO ENCOURAGE THIS.
4.
THERE ARE OBVIOUS DIFFICULTIES ABOUT GIVING HONG KONG
PEOPLE THE SORT OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES I AM SURE THEY
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE: REACTOR IS TO BE BUILT TO A FRENCH DESIGN AND
OPERATED IN CHINA. CANNOT SPEAK AS AUTHORITATIVELY ABOUT THIS
REACTOR AS I COULD ABOUT A BRITISH ONE
I CAN SAY:
THAT WE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, ACCEPT OUR
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG
AND TAKE THIS RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY:
THAT WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING VERY CLOSELY THE DEBATE IN
HONG KONG ON DAYA BAY, AND UNDERSTAND FULLY THE ANXIETIES
THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED, ESPECIALLY AGAINST THE
BACKGROUND OF THE ACCIDENT AT CHERNOBYL:
THAT WE ARE IN REGULAR AND CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE FRENCH
AND CHINESE AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE SUBJECT AND
PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE SAFETY ASPECT:
THAT WE KNOW THE FRENCH HAVE A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL RECORD
OF DESIGNING AND BUILDING NUCLEAR REACTORS, AND AN
UNCHALLENGEABLE SAFETY RECORD: THEY HAVE BUILT REACTORS
IN MANY COUNTRIES, ALL NO DOUBT REQUIRING TO BE FULLY
SATISFIED AS REGARDS SAFETY STANDARDS, AND INCLUDING BOTH
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES LIKE BELGIUM, AND MORE DISTANT
COUNTRIES LIKE SOUTH KOREA AND SOUTH AFRICA WITHOUT
HIGHLY DEVELOPED INDIGENOUS PRECISION ENGINEERING
CAPABILITIES:
THAT A WIDE RANGE OF INTERNATIONAL ADVICE AND EXPERTISE
IS AVAILABLE TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, NOTABLY THROUGH
THE IAEA, WITH WHOM THE CHINESE ARE ALREADY IN TOUCH.
ONE RESULT OF THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT SEEMS LIKELY TO BE
EVEN GREATER AVAILABILITY OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE, AND WILLINGNESS TO SHARE EXPERIENCE AND INFORMATION, THAN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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