TNAG-1504-FCO40-2062-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 104

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ARTICLE FOR WEN WEI PO

DRAFT

quently

I am immensely impressed at the early progress made by the Chinese people

Peking in the task of restructuring their economy. During a visit to Beijing

in November 1983, I was made aware of the difficulties which beset the

plans to achieve significant growth, yet in a relatively short time,

there are signs that economic changes are beginning to take effect.

great Despite this laudible achievement there are still hurdles to be overcome.

History records that development of many of the world's leading industrial

nations has been partly dependent on the extent to which energy resources

the can be located and efficiently harnessed. China is

aware of her diffultes the fores

limitations in this area and recognises that a constraint on further

economic development could well be her present energy shortage. Accord-

ing to a World Bank report, China's goal for increased industrial and

agricultural output by the year 2000 can only be met by raising energy

availability to 3 billion tonnes of coal equivalent. In more meaningful

terms this equates to 1,200 million tonnes coal; 200 million tonnes crude

oil and 240 million KW of electricity. Fortunately China's natural

potential for achieving these levels is considerable but a major hindrance

may face in this of a

degritet til de fio thetical diffis

is likely to be the lack of infrastructurefas particularly reflected by limited technology, a scarcity of skilled personnel and inadequate trans-

port systems By contrast, Britain's predominance in western Europe

across a wide spectrum of energy activity, including the highly important

subject of energy conservation, gives UK industry unrivalled experience

at the forefront of energy technology and is thus well qualified to con-

tribute meaningfully to China's programme of energy reform. Energy

related firms in the UK are ready to invest in China and transfer tech-

nology to China and there are already encouraging signs of co-operation.

China's greatest immediate need is electric power generation with a 3-fold

increase forecast over the next 15 years. Much of this will be achieved

by increasing the number of conventional thermal power stations and in