CONFIDENTIAL
60114 1
-
AUTHORITIES FOR NOT RELEASING THE RELEVANT INFORMATION. THE REPORTS
WERE CIRCULATED TO LEGCO MEMBERS UNDER THE COVER OF A LETTER SIGNED
BY MR. LEE AND WERE GIVEN TO THE PRESS. (COPIES OF THE REPORTS WILL
BE SENT TO YOU BY BAG SEE PARAGRAPH 9 BELOW).
6. THE MEDIA NOTED THAT EXCO, LED BY THE GOVERNOR, WOULD VISIT THE
UNITED KINGDOM SHORTLY. THE EXCO DELEGATION WAS EXPECTED TO ASK THE
PRIME MINISTER TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHINESE LEADERS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF
THE OBSERVATIONS IN THE LEGCO REPORT. SEPARATELY, PROMINENT COVERAGE
WAS GIEN TO THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO PEKING BETWEEN 29 AUGUST AND
2 SEPTEMBER. IT WAS WIDELY NOTED THAT THE GOVERNOR MET MR. ZHOU NAN,
CHINESE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER AND ATTENDED A DINNER HOSTED BY
MR. JI PENGFEI, THE HEAD OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU OFFICE. THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE GOVERNOR UPON RETURN TO HONG KONG ALSO
RECEIVED PROMINENT COVERAGE. THE STATEMENT WAS GENERALLY WELCOMED
AS IT CLARIFIED THE TIMING OF THE CONTRACT-SIGNING AND REAFFIRMED
THAT CHINA WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE REPORT COMPILED BY THE LEGCO
FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS. EDITORIALLY, SOME PAPERS SAID THAT THE
GOVERNOR'S VISIT WAS TIMELY AND USEFUL BECAUSE HE HAD CONVEYED
THE LOCAL CONCERN TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, THUS SAFEGUARDING
HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. IN THIS CONNECTION, THE
MEDIA NOTED THAT NCNA DIRECTOR, MR. XU JIATUN, ALSO LEFT FOR A
ROUTINE TRIP TO PEKING ON 29 AUGUST, THE SAME DAY THE GOVERNOR
SET OFF FOR PEKING.
7. THE JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT REMAINED ACTIVE. APART FROM CRITICISING THE LEGCO FACT-FINDING REPORT AND
PETITIONING UMELCO AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FOR A SPECIAL
LEGCO DEBATE, THE JOINT CONFERENCE DECLARED THAT THEY WERE
CONSIDERING OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDING AN EXHIBITION AT NEW WORLD CENTRE ON 6 AND 7 SEPTEMBER, A MASS PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT ON
14 SEPTEMBER AND A MASS RALLY AT MORSE PARK ON 5 OCTOBER.
COUNTERACTING THE ANTI-DAYA BAY MOVE, THE 'SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
GROUP' ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAD VISITD CHINA AND WERE GIVEN
ASSURANCES BY THE CHINESE OFFICIALS ON PROPER NUCLEAR WASTES DISPOSAL, MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, AND NON-REQUIREMENTS FOR
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.