TNAG-1507-FCO40-2065-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 171

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OCTOBER. THE RISKS INSURED AGAINST INCLUDED: CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION WORK, EXISTING PROPERTY IN SHENZHEN, LIABILITY OF EMPLOYER, PUBLIC LIABILITY AND THE THIRD PARTY LIABILITY FOR ALL VEHICLES. THE TOTAL INSURANCE PREMIUM OF THE PLANT WOULD INCREASE WITH THE PROGRESS OF ITS CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION AND THAT THIS INSURANCE POLICY WOULD BE THE LARGEST ONE THAT COMPANY HAD EVER TAKEN IN TERMS OF PREMIUM AND NUMBER OF ITEMS. THE INSURANCE MOVE WAS GENERALLY CONCEIVED AS A POSITIVE GESTURE WHICH WOULD BOOST PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE DAYA BAY PLANT. SOME CRITICS HOWEVER

POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT KNOWN WHETHER HONG KONG WAS INCLUDED

IN THE INSURANCE POLICY.

9. IT WAS WIDELY REPORTED THAT MR. JAMES PRIOR, THE CHAIRMAN OF GEC, PAID A 4-DAY VISIT TO HONG KONG IN OCTOBER. NOTING THAT GEC HAD WON A DOLLAR 2500 MILLION CONTRACT FOR SUPPLYING TURBINE GENERATORS TO DAYA BAY, THE PRESS PUT MANY QUESTIONS RELATING TO DAYA BAY TO MR. PRIOR. IN RESPONSE, MR. PRIOR ADMITTED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD OFFERED GEC MUCH HELP IN ITS NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE CONTRACT. HE NEVERTHELESS CLARIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT DEAL TO GIVE FAVOURABLE TERMS TO GEC. HE ALSO DENIED THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE NEGOTIATIONS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE HAD ANY DIRECT LINK WITH THE GEC'S CONTRACT. HE REJECTED THE SUGGESTION MADE BY THE ANTI-DAYA BAY GROUPS THAT GEC WAS VULNERABLE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS IN THE DAYA BAY PROJECT.

10.

THE JOINT CONFERENCE FOR SHELVING THE DAYA BAY PLANT' MANAGED TO ATTRACT SOME MEDIA ATTENTION BY ANNOUNCING THEIR PLAN TO LODGE AN ANTI-DAYA BAY PETITION TO THE QUEEN DURING HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO HONG KONG. THEY WERE VERY QUICK IN DECLARING THAT THEY WOULD DROP THE PLAN AS THE PROPOSED MOVE WOULD NOT BE EFFECTIVE. AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON 13 OCTOBER, THE JOINT CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED THAT THEIR ANTI-DAYA BAY CAMPAIGN RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM OVERSEAS ANTI-NUCLEAR GROUPS. THEY ALSO ACCUSED THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ATTENDING THE RECENT IAEA CONFERENCE FOR HIDING ANTI-NUCLEAR REMARKS.

11.

SOME PAPERS NOTED THAT THE ANTI-NUCLEAR COALITION HAD JOINED HANDS WITH THE FRIENDS OF EARTH IN LAUNCHING A SECOND PHASE OF THEIR ANTI-DAYA BAY CAMPAIGN. AS A FIRST STEP, THEY INVITED A JAPANESE SCIENTIST, DR. SADAO ICHIKAWA TO GIVE A TALK ON 'RADIOACTIVE HAZARDS FROM NUCLEAR PLANTS'. THE FRIENDS OF EARTH HAD ALSO MADE PUBLIC THE REPLY ISSUED BY FCO TO THEIR EARLIER PETITION TO THE PRIME MINISTER.

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