TNAG-1507-FCO40-2065-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 90

GRS 1350

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

Confidential

HKK 166/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 3854

OF 180207Z NOVEMBER 86

INFO IMMEDIATE DEPT OF

ENERGIES

SK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

LOD COPY DIST ?

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, PARIS, HONG NOV 129ERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

REGISTRY

Action Taken

NUCLEAR SAFETY : PUBLIC OPINION ON DAYA BAY.

FURTHER TO OUR TELNO. 3619, THE GOVERNMENT ISSUED TO THE

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL A REPORT PROVIDING DETAILS OF THE SAFETY AND

TARIFF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION. THIS REPORT ATTRACTED MEDIA COVERAGE AND DREW COMMENTS FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE ANTI-DAYA BAY LOBBY. IT NEVERTHELESS FAILED TO AROUSE INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY (PARAGRAPHS 2 TO 6).

THE LEGCO'S AD HOC GROUP TO MONITOR THE DAYA BAY PROJECT MET THE

SECOND TIME IN THE MORNING OF 11 NOVEMBER, FOLLOWED BY A PRESS CONFERENCE WHICH WAS WIDELY REPORTED (PARAGRAPH 7). THE ANTI-DAYA

BAY LOBBY SEIZED EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ATTACK THE PROJECT (PARAGRAPH 8) NOTWITHSTANDING A PUBLIC OPINION POLL SHOWED THAT

MORE PEOPLE HAD ACCEPTED DAYA BAY AS A FAIT ACCOMPLI (PARAGRAPH

9.).

2. THE MEDIA GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE GOVERNMENT'S REPORT

ON SAFETY AND TARIFF ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION, WHICH WAS ISSUED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 10 NOVEMBER (COPIES FORWARDED BY BAG). THE ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON THE EXTRACTS FROM THE LAZARD BROTHERS' REPORT AND THE CHINA LIGHT AND POWER CO.'S FINANCIAL MEMORANDUM. THE LEFT-WING PAPERS WELCOMED THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT. THEY STRESSED THAT THE PROJECT WOULD OFFER THE TERRITORY SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND THAT ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED WOULD ENSURE THE SAFE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE REPORT HAD PUT FORWARD CONVINCING ARGUMENTS TO JUSTIFY HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE DAYA BAY PROJECT. IT WOULD ALSO HELP TO REMOVE HONG KONG PEOPLE'S WORRIES OVER THE SAFETY ASPECT. THIS VIEW WAS SHARED BY SOME NEUTRAL PAPERS.

3. SOME ANTI-DAYA BAY NEWSPAPERS, IN PARTICULAR MING PO AND EXPRESS, WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE REPORT DID NOT CONTAIN MUCH COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION. THEY SUSPECTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WITHHELD

SOME INFORMATION WHICH SHOWED THAT THE PROJECT WAS NOT A VERY

ATTRACTIVE OPTION TO HONG KONG. IT WAS ALSO ARGUED THAT THE

ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO THE TERRITORY WOULD BE MARGINAL AND IN

ANY CASE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO RISK THE

DANGER OF A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT. THIS OPINION WAS ECHOED BY THE

Confidential

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