TNAG-1958-FCO40-2787-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-plant-1989 — Page 115

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C166/1

HKC 166

12

134502

MDHIAN 0092

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1138

OF 10110OZ APRIL 89

AND TO IMMEDIATE

@

PEKING

MY TELNO 1113: DAYA BAY

ST ?

1. FOLLOWING MY CONVERSATION WITH XU JIATUN ON 7 APRIL, SZETO KEUNG OF NCNA TELEPHONED POLITICAL ADVISER ON 8 APRIL WITH A MESSAGE FROM

XU TO ME, RESULTING FROM CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES. THE MESSAGE COVERED THREE POINTS :

(A) THERE WERE DIFFERENT OPINIONS AMONG EXPERTS IN GUANGDONG ABOUT ENERGY DEVELOPMENT. BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT YET RECEIVED ANY

FORMAL REPORT AND THERE WERE NO FIRM PLANS AS YET.

(B) THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF ENGERGY IN GUANGDONG. THEREFORE WHEN

CONSIDERING WAYS OF DEVELOPING ENERGY RESOURCES, THE AUTHORITIES WOULD WISH TO MAKE USE OF NUCLEAR AS WELL AS THERMAL POWER:

(C) AS REGARDS THE EXPANSION OF DAYA BAY, THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PLANS OF THE CHINESE MINISTRY OF ENERGY FOR DEVELOPMENT UP TO

THE YEAR 2000. THEREFORE UP TO THAT YEAR NO EXPANSION WAS IN PROSPECT.

2. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST AND SEVERAL OTHER PAPERS REPORTED

ON 10 APRIL THAT A MINISTRY OF ENERGY SPOKESMAN IN PEKING HAD MADE

A STATEMENT INCLUDING THE POINT THAT A SECOND DAYA BAY PLANT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAMME UP TO THE YEAR 2000. A MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, MR WANG WENZE, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY APPLICATION FOR A SECOND PLANT. MR WANG SAID QUOTE GIVEN THE LACK OF ENERGY RESOURCES IN GUANGDONG, IT IS NORMAL FOR IT TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVE RESERARCH AND DEBATES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS POWER INDUSTRY. THIS NATURALLY COVERS THE TOPICS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOSSIL FUEL FACILITIES, HYDRO-ELECTRIC PLANTS AND NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS. THE PROVINCIAL ELECTRIC POWER PROSPECTING AND DESIGN INSTITUTE, WHICH COMPLETED A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE FIRST DAYA BAY SCHEME, IS NOW CONDUCTING A SIMILAR STUDY FOR A SECOND PLANT IN GUANGDONG UNQUOTE. MR WANG WAS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT INDIVIDUAL PROVINCES WERE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR LOCAL ECONOMY. (QUOTE) ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT

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