TNAG-1958-FCO40-2787-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-plant-1989 — Page 47

CONFIDENTIAL

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013721 MDHIAN 9370

HKC166/1

TOP COPY ODIST ?

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG TO IMMEDIATE DTI

TELNO OTTER 108

OF 15030OZ JUNE 89

INFO PRIORITY FCO, PEKING, PARIS

FOR ADAMS, HEAD OF PEP

(43

MY TELNO OTTER 104 AND OUR TELCON OF 14 JUNE: DAYA BAY AND VISIT OF WANG QUAN GUO.

1. FOLLOWING OUR TELECON ON 14 JUNE I TOLD STONES OF CHINA LIGHT AND POWER THAT EVENING, THAT IT WAS NOW ALL BUT CERTAIN THAT LORD YOUNG'S MEETING WITH WANG QUAN GUO, CHAIRMAN OF THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER JOINT VENTURE COMPANY, WOULD NOT TAKE PLACE. I SAID THAT MINISTERS WERE RECONSIDERING MEETINGS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AND ALTHOUGH WANG QUAN GUO WAS CURRENTLY ACTING IN A WHOLLY COMMERCIAL CAPACITY, HE HAD HAD CLOSE LINKS IN THE PAST WITH THE GOVERNMENT. I SAID THAT WHEN ESCORTING WANG QUAN GUO IN LONDON HE WOULD BE LIKELY TO FIND THAT YOU WOULD BE TELLING HIM THAT LORD YOUNG'S ENGAGEMENTS MADE SUCH A MEETING IMPOSSIBLE. I TOLD STONES THAT IN OTHER RESPECTS THE VISIT WOULD BE UNCHANGED: THAT WE WERE AWARE OF THE COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE VISIT AND THAT WANG QUAN GUO WOULD BE PROPERLY LOOKED AFTER. I ADDED THAT WE HAD CHECKED ON WANG QUAN GUO'S PROGRAMME IN FRANCE AND IT WAS NOT PLANNED THAT HE SHOULD SEE A MINISTER THERE.

2. STONES DID NOT SEEM SURPRISED, AND IN ANY EVENT HAD HAD FOREWARNI- NG OF THIS FROM GEC (PARA 3 OF MY TUR). HE SAID THAT HE HOPED AS SENIOR AN OFFICIAL AS POSSIBLE WOULD BE SUBSTITUTED AND ASKED WHETHER THIS COULD BE YOUR PUS. I SAID THAT I KNEW A MEETING AT OFFICIAL LEVEL WOULD BE ARRANGED, THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE WITH YOU, BUT THAT I WOULD PASS ON HIS REQUEST THAT IT BE THE PUS.

3. STONES WILL LEAVE HONG KONG ON FRIDAY 16 JUNE IN ORDER TO BE THERE WHEN WANG ARRIVES ON 17 JUNE AND WILL ACCOMPANY HIM ON HIS UK VISIT.

4. IN VIEW OF WANG'S CURRENT WHOLLY COMMERCIAL ROLE, AND AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE BRITISH CONTRACTORS AT DAYA BAY AND OF THE CURRENT FUTURE POTENTIAL VALUE OF THE PROJECT TO US, I DID NOT THINK IT PRUDENT TO BE ANY MORE BLUNT THAN THIS. YOU WILL THUS NO DOUBT CONFIRM THE CANCELLATION OF THE MEETING WITH LORD

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