Daya Bay, in
*
Guangdong province of the People's Republic of
China, some 50 kilometres from Hong Kong.
36.
The power station will be built and operated by
and operated by a joint
venture company formed in 1985 following an agreement between the Guangdong Nuclear Investment Company (wholly owned by the Chinese Ministry of Nuclear Industry) and the Hong Kong Nuclear Investment Company (wholly owned by the China Light and Power Company of Hong
Kong). The participation of the China
the China Light and Power Company in
the project was supported by the Hong Kong Government following an evaluation of the options for meeting Hong Kong's anticipated future demand for electricity and some six years of detailed negotiations on the project's feasibility, construction, operation and management
and financing arrangements.
37.
Before the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station,
the Daya Bay project was
was generally seen as a positive development which augured well for Hong Kong's future. Inevitably, the events
in at Chernobyl provoked intense debate in Hong Kong, as elsewhere
the
world, on the safety of nuclear power stations. Public concern focussed on the proximity of the station to Hong Kong and the difficulties of evacuating the Local population should this prove necessary. Opposition by various pressure groups mounted during the early summer months, culminating in the presentation of a petition to the Chinese Government claimed to contain one million signatures.
38.
to
gain
a
The public concern felt in Hong Kong was echoed in a debate in the Legislative Council on 16 July. In August, two fact-finding delegations of Council members visited Europe, the United States and
Japan
better understanding of nuclear energy and the safety systems incorporated into the design of plants similar to the one to be built at Daya Bay. A report on their visits was published on their return, following which members of the delegations were
invited to Peking by the Chinese Government to discuss its contents They were assured by Chinese officials that those observations in the report which would enhance the safety of the plant and were technically and economically
confirming its intention to
to proceed with the project the Chinese Government further emphasised that it had taken, and would continue
viable ou
would be accepted.
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