CONFIDENTIAL
(6
114047 MDHIAN 9126
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 557
OF 040828Z APRIL 89
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
A
TOP COPY
HKC166
Q DIST ?
4/5
HONG KONG TELNOS 1053 AND 1074
POSSIBLE NEW CHINESE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AT DAYA BAY.
1.
WE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS TO THE MINISTRY OF ENERGY WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATION AND PLANNING IN ALL OF CHINA'S ENERGY SECTORS. THEIR CHIEF NUCLEAR ENGINEER, ZANG MINGCHANG, DISMISSED PRESS REPORTS OF A SECOND PLANT AT DAYA BAY AS 'NOT TRUE''.
2.
AT PRESENT THE ONLY NEW PROJECT AT THE PLANNING STAGE IS THE 2 X 600 MEGAWATT (MW) EXPANSION AT QINSHAN (SHANGHAI), QINSHAN II. THE MINISTRY OF ENERGY PLAN CONSTRUCTION OF A FURTHER 6000 MW INSTALLED CAPACITY OF NUCLEAR GENERATING POWER BY THE YEAR 2000 WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE 1500 MW OF QINSHAN I AND II. ACCORDING TO ZANG, THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS ON POSSIBLE SITES FOR THESE ADDITIONAL NUCLEAR
BUT HE STRESSED POWER PLANTS IN LIAONING, GANSU AND GUANGDONG. THAT THESE WERE STILL AT A VERY PRELIMINARY STAGE. NO DECISIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN OR WERE IMMINENT. ZANG REPEATED THAT THERE WERE NO (NO) PLANS FOR A SECOND POWER PLANT AT DAYA BAY.
COMMENT.
3.
ZANG'S COMMENTS REFLECT AND CONFIRM THE PUBLIC LINE TAKEN OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS BY CHINESE MINISTERS AND OFFICIALS IN DESCRIBING PLANS FOR FUTURE NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION IN CHINA. WE HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THEIR SINCERITY.
4.
THIS SHOULD, HOWEVER, MAKE IT ALL THE MORE WORTH RAISING THE ISSUE WITH THE MFA, TO ENLIST THEIR HELP IN SCOTCHING WHAT IS CLEARLY A MISAPPREHENSION. IF YOU AGREE I COULD DO SO DURING MY CALL ON GUO FENGMIN AT 1030 HOURS LOCAL ON 5 APRIL. I WOULD PROPOSE TO GIVE GUO THE BACKGROUND IN PARA 1 OF FIRST TUR AND DRAW HIS ATTENTION TO THE INTENSE PUBLIC AND PRESS SPECULATION THAT HAS FOLLOWED IN HONG KONG, STRESSING THE EFFECTS
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