TNAG-1658-FCO40-2306-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1987 — Page 347

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GRS 650

CONFIDENT HAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIMORTY FCO

TELNO 1963

OF 21034OZ MAY 87

KNFO PRIORITY PEKING

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YOUR TELNO 1311 DAYA BAY LEGCO PANEL'S VISIT TO PEKING 1986

THE MEDIA REPORTS REFERRED TO IN YOUR TUR AROSE FROM THE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS

(A) ON 5 MAY PROFESSOR THE HONOURABLE POON CHUNG-KWONG, HAVING JUST RETURNED FROM A VST TO CHINA, TOLD THE PRESS THAT VICE- PREMIER LN PENG WAS CHAIRING A TOP-LEVEL WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH HONG KONG PARTICIPATHION:

(B) ON 8 MAY GNPJVC, AS PART OF ITS PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMME, -INVITED THE HONG KONG PRESS TO VISHT DAYA BAY. IN REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MR. ZAN YUNLUNG (THE GNPJVC GENERAL MANAGER) RESTATED EARLIER REMARKS MADE BY VICE-PREMIER LM PENG THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED THE INFORMATION OF AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN HONG KONG (PARA. 2 OF OUR TELNO 1283). HE ALSO IMPLIED THAT HK REPRESENTATION ON AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE BEING SET UP IN CHINA TO MONITOR THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT WAS NOT CONTEMPLATED.

2. FOLLOWING HAS EARLIER APPROACHES TO THE NCNA, AS REPORTED N OUR TELNO 1283, DPA ALSO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A MEETING WITH MR. LI RUOHE ON 15 MAY TO SEEK CLARIFICATION ON THE APPARENT CONTRADICTION BETWEEN THE REMARKS MADE BY PROFESSOR POON AND MR. ZAN. MR. LI RUOHE ADVISED THAT HE WAS NOW EVEN MORE CONFUSED OVER THIS. HE HAD HEARD NOTHING FROM HUUS EARLIER ENQUIRIES TO PEKING AND PROMISED TO ENQUIRE AGAIN.

3. LEGCO SHARE THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL PRESS THAT THE REMARKS MADE BY MR. LN PENG AND MR. ZAN NOW SEEM TO IMPLY THAT THE CHINESE HAVE CHANGED THEIR POSITION ON LEGCO'S SUGGESTION FOR AN MNDEPENDENT CHINESE ADVISORY BODY WITH HONG KONG PARTICIPATION. THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP ON THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PROJECT WILL PROBABLY RAISE THMS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION DURING THE MEETING THAT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR 21 MAY 1987. WE PROPOSE TAKING THE LINE THAT WE HAVE SOUGHT FURTHER CLARIFICAT-PON FROM THE CHINESE AND AWA-HT A REPLY. WE SUSPECT THE PROBLEM PROBABLY

ፐ CENTRES OVER THE INTERPRETATION OF THE ACTUAL ROLE OF THE PROPOSED ADVISORY BODY WHICH CLEARLY CANNOT INFRINGE UPON THE STATUTORY RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WILL BE VESTED IN THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR SAFETY ADMINISTRATION.

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