TNAG-1958-FCO40-2787-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-plant-1989 — Page 55

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE DTI

TELNO OTTER 101

OF 07050OZ JUNE 89

AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

42

164714

MDHIAN 7990

HKC166

66/1

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

FOR ADAMS, PEP AND HALL, OT2

141)

MY TELNO OTTER 99: DAYA BAY

1. BRITISH SUBJECTS AT DAYA BAY:

SIR J CATER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HK NUCLEAR INVESTMENT CO AND STONES OF CHINA LIGHT AND POWER HAVE SOUGH-MY VIEWS ON THE POSITION OF

THEIR SOME 20 BRITISH FAMILIES WORKING AT DAYA BAY. THEY SAID THAT WORK ON THE PROJECT WAS CONTINUING AND THERE HAS BEEN NO HINT OF VIOLENCE OR POLITICAL STRIFE IN THE AREA, AND THEIR INCLINATION WAS THAT THE BRITISH STAFF SHOULD REMAIN AND THAT WORK SHOULD CONTINUE AS NORMAL.

2. I SAID THAT THIS WAS CONSISTANT WITH ADVICE BEING GIVEN BY OUR EMBASSY IN PEKING. WHERE BRITISH PERSONNEL FELT THREATENED OR IN AREAS OF ANY APPARENT VIOLENCE THEN WE WERE SUGGESTING THEY SHOULD LEAVE. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE LACK OF VIOLENCE IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE, THE PROXIMITY OF THE PROJECT TO THE BORDER AND THE RELATIVE EASE OF DEPARTURE TO HONG KONG BY ROAD, AND THE PRESENCE OF A SIGNIFICANT EXPATRIATE COMMUNITY ALL LIVING TOGETHER (WITH A MUCH LARGER FRENCH GROUP THAN THOSE FROM THE UK) IT SEEMED REASONABLE THAT THEY SHOULD FOR THE TIME BEING CONTINUE, ALTHOUGH NO DOUBT THE COMPANY WOULD BE PREPAREING CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR HASTY EVACUATION IF THAT APPEARED NECESSARY, STONES AND SIR J CATER SAID THAT THEY HAD PLANS READY FOR EVACUATION BY ROAD, AND INTHE EVENT OF ANY DIFFICULTIES AT THE BORDER, ALSO BY SEA. I PROMISED TO LET THEM KNOW IF WE SAW ANY REASON TO CHANGE THIS ADVICE.

3. VISIT OF WANG QUAN GUO, CHAIRMAN OF GNPJVC, TO LONDON:

STONES SAID THEY HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH WANG, NOW IN FRANCE. CLEARLY THAT VISIT WAS GOING WELL, BUT WANG HAD SOUGHT CONFIRMATION THAT UN- DER PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES HIS VISIT TO THE UK WOULD STILL BE ACCEPTABLE AND WOULD NOT BE ANY EMBARRASSMENT TO OURSELVES. I TOLD

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL