TNAG-2828-FCO40-4081-Hong-Kong-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station--Daya-Bay--China-1993 — Page 160

CONFIDENTIAL

115076

MDLIAN 0308

URGENTLY TRANSMITTED TO THE RELEVANT CENTRAL AUTHORITIES.

10. EHRMAN ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO LEARN WHEN THE CHINESE ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE CONTINGENCY PLANS WOULD BE EXERCISED. HONG KONG WOULD CONDUCT A SECOND FULL TEST OF ITS CONTINGENCY PLAN IN MAY. WE WOULD WELCOME MAINLAND OBSERVERS AT IT (TWO CAME TO OUR FIRST EXERCISE IN 1990). WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO OBSERVE THEIR EXERCISES. TRANSCRIPT OF SPEAKING NOTE WHICH EHRMAN USED AND HANDED TO NCNA IS BEING FAXED TO RICKETTS, HKD, AND TO PEKING.

11. YANG YOUYONG SAID THAT CHINA HAD ALL ALONG ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT. MANY EXPERTS FROM HONG KONG HAD BEEN IMPRESSED BY THEM. IN THE DISCUSSIONS HELD SO FAR BETWEEN GUANGDONG AND HONG KONG, THE GUANGDONG SIDE HAD TAKEN A VERY SERIOUS POSITION AND WISHED TO CO-OPERATE WITH HONG KONG. SOME PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE TALKS ALTHOUGH SOME DIFFICULTIES REMAINED. AS THE GUANGDONG SIDE HAD EXPLAINED, THEY DID NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO DISCUSS ANYTHING OTHER THAN OFF-SITE EMERGENCIES. BUT YANG SAID HE HAD NOTED OUR REQUEST AND WOULD TRANSMIT IT AT ONCE TO PEKING.

12.

WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF THE EMBASSY COULD TAKE ACTION WITH THE HKMAO TO REINFORCE OUR REQUEST. TIME IS SHORT NOW IN WHICH TO CONCLUDE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS.

13.

FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION, WE ARE SEPARATELY SPEAKING TO CHINA LIGHT AND POWER TO SEE IF THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT ON-SITE EMERGENCIES DIRECT FROM THEM. BUT, EVEN IF WE CAN, THAT IS SECOND BEST TO AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA. WHEN ASKED PUBLICLY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT ON TRANSMITTING INFORMATION IN THE CASE OF BOTH OFF-SITE AND ON-SITE EMERGENCIES.

14.

AT AN EXPERT GROUP MEETING WHICH TOOK PLACE IN CANTON AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, WE LEARNED INFORMALLY THAT THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO EXERCISE THEIR OFF-SITE PLAN SOME TIME BETWEEN FUEL LOADING IN MAY AND FULL COMMISSIONING OF THE PLANT IN THE AUTUMN. THE GUANGDONG TEAM SAID THAT THEY WOULD WELCOME HONG KONG OBSERVERS BUT THAT THIS ISSUE SHOULD ALSO BE RAISED WITH NCNA. THIS HAS NOW BEEN DONE.

MACLEOD

3

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL