TNAG-1658-FCO40-2306-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1987 — Page 22

CONFIDENTIAL

151

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2110

OF 040858Z DECEMBER 1987 INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

FROM GOVERNOR

MKC 166/3

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

-7 DEC 1987

DESK OFFICER

REGISTITY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

023502

MDHIAN 9030

ра

28 106/3

MY SECOND IPT: MY VISIT TO PEKING: 3 DECEMBER: MEETING WITH ZHOU NAN: DAYA BAY

1.

PTA 4/12

I SAID THAT ZHOU WOULD BE AWARE OF RECENT EVENTS AT THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AND OF THE EFFECT THAT THESE HAD HAD ON HONG KONG. HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE STILL VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT THE DAYA BAY PLANT. THE WAY IN WHICH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAD HANDLED THE PROBLEM, MAKING PUBLIC WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND TAKING RAPID REMEDIAL MEASURES, HAD HELPED A GREAT DEAL TO KEEP THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL.

2. ZHOU SAID THAT THE PROBLEM AT DAYA BAY HAD ALSO TAKEN THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES BY SURPRISE. IT WAS VERY CLEAR WHO HAD BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM: HE DID NOT NEED TO IDENTIFY THOSE CONCERNED. HE HAD EXPRESSED HIS VIEWS VERY STRONGLY TO THOSE CONCERNED WHO HAD GIVEN HIM AN ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD PAY THE CLOSEST ATTENTION IN FUTURE TO CAREFUL AND SAFE CONSTRUCTION. HE WOULD NOT GO INTO DETAILS OF SPECIFIC ACTION WHICH HAD SEEN TAKEN, BUT REMEDIAL MEASURES HAD BEEN INTRODUCED WHICH HAD BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE NUCLEAR SAFETY BUREAU. ZHOU ADDED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD TAKEN UP ''WITH THE OTHER SIDE CONCERNED'' AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL THE NEED FOR AN ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE THAT NO SIMILAR PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR IN FUTURE WITH REGARD TO THE NUCLEAR ISLAND.

3.

I SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS IN TOUCH WTIH THE AUTHORITIES IN GUANGDONG VIA THE NCNA ABOUT PLANNING FOR HOW TO DEAL WITH A NUCLEAR EMERGENCY. A PLAN WAS IN PREPARATION: WHEN IT WAS READY, WE WOULD PASS DETAILS TO THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES.

EVANS

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