TNAG-1505-FCO40-2063-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 271

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RESEARCH COMPANY HAD RECENTLY PUBLISHED THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY IN AUGUST WHICH SHOWED A 7 PER CENT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE STILL IN FAVOUR OF SHELVING THE PROJECT. ON THE SUBJECT OF PUBILC OPINION, THE MEDIA NOTED THAT FIVE LEGCO MEMBERS, MR. JACKIE CHAN, DR. RICHARD LAN, DR. CONRAD LAM, PROFESSOR POON CHUNG-KWONG AND MR. POON CHI-FAI WERE NOW CONDUCTING A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY BY PLACING ADVERTISEMENTS ON SOME PAPERS. THEY HOPED THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY COULD BE DISCUSSED DURING THE LEGCO VISIT TO PEKING. MR. ALLEN LEE HOWEVER EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY SHOULD NOT BE RAISED WITH THE CHINESE OFFICIALS UNLESS THE LEGCO DELEGATION HAD AGREED TO TAKE THIS UP.

9. AS PART OF CHINA'S STARATEGY TO ALLAY PUBLIC FEAR IN HONG KONG, THE LOCAL LEFT-WING PAPERS CONTINUED TO CARRY REASSURING REPORTS ON DAYA BAY. IT WAS NOTED THAT SOME PROMINENT COMMUNITY FIGURES INCLUDING MR. WONG MAN-KONG (GENERAL MANAGER OF CHUNG WAH SHIPBUILDING AND ENGINEERING CO. LTD.), MR. TSANG HIN-TSZ (MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GOLDLINE CO. LTD.), MR. CHUNG CHI-YUNG (VICE-PRESIDENT OF SHUE YAN COLLEGE) AND MR. FUNG HING-TSEUNG (DIRECTOR OF FUNG PING FAN AND CO. LTD.) ALL SPOKE FAVOURABLY ON THE LEGCO FACT-FINDING REPORT. SEPARATELY, THE TA KUNG EDITORIAL ON 4 SEPTEMBER SAID THAT THE THREE DECISIONS AT THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING WERE IN LINE WITH THE PUBLIC OPINION AND HAD REFLECTED THE BASIC ATTITUDE OF THE HK LEGISLATURE TO THE BUILDING OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT 50 KM AWAY. QUOTING A CNS REPORT OF 6 SEPTEMBER, MANY PAPERS NOTED THAT CHINA'S MINISTER OF NUCLEAR INDUSTRY, MR. JIANG XINXIONG SAID THAT THE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED PLANS TO BUILD NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AT QINSHAN AND DAYA BAY WOULD NOT CHANGE, BUT THE CHINESE LEADERS UNDERSTAND HK'S CONCERN AND HAD INSTRUCTED RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO CONDUCT CAREFUL STUDIES.

10. WE ARE ARRANGING FOR A SUMMARY OF MEDIA REPORTS COVERING THE PERIOD BETWEEN 4 AND 10 SEPTEMBER TO BE FAXED TO YOU AND PARIS. THE DISTRICT OFFICERS' WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORTS COVERING THE SAME PERIOD WILL BE SENT TO YOU, PEKING AND PARIS BY RAG.

YOUDE

HHLNAN 1908

GUANGDONG

[COPIES SENT TO NO 10 DOWNING STREET]

LIMITED

HKD

FED

NED

TRED

PUSD(MR CROWLEY) WED

PS

PS/MR RENTON PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

MR DAUNT

MR WILSON MR SLATER

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION GUANGDONG NUCLEAR

HKGO,

LONDON

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